Tag: Sandy’s Floral Gallery

Once the engagement is announced — and Valentine’s Day will be the start of many of those announcements — the next question is usually “When will the wedding be?”

If local couples are willing to answer that question with “4 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2021,” they may want to enter a contest for a free wedding at Belhurst Castle in Geneva.

Belhurst is offering a free wedding on that date, complete with wedding officiant and a reception for up to 150 people, as a way to celebrate reaching a major milestone  — the property has hosted 10,000 weddings — and two recent awards from Internet wedding sites.

The sought-after venue on Seneca Lake recently won honorary awards from TheKnot.com and WeddingWire.com.

“We knew we wanted to do something special, something big to celebrate this milestone,” said Carly Morabito, marketing manager, Belhurst. “We’re asking couples to tell us their story and what a wedding at Belhurst would mean to them. When you think about how life-changing this could be for a couple, it puts everything into perspective.”

Couples have until May 14 to enter the free wedding contest online at www.belhurst.com/weddingcontest. The entry form indicates what won’t be free — alcohol, which is prohibited from giving away by law. There’s also no mention of bridal party attire.

But several vendors who regularly work on weddings with Belhurst are offering their services and products as part of the contest:

• Belhurst’s Isabella Spa-Salon will do hair and makeup for the bride and another person of her choice.
• Tellier Studios of Waterloo, Seneca County, will offer photography.
• Q Music Productions of Rochester is providing disc jockey services
• Sandy’s Floral Gallery of Clifton Springs, Ontario County, will provide flowers.
• This Day Forward of Canandaigua will offer its officiant services.

“Our events team has worked with these incredible vendors year after year,” said Carmen Brennan-Bain, events manager, Belhurst. “When plans started forming, we knew getting other vendors involved would be something extra special. They’re highly reputable in the industry and we all have the same goal – to make someone’s dream come true.”

Three contestant couples will be selected as finalists to be interviewed by Belhurst’s owners, Deb and Duane Reeder, and the Belhurst management team. The winners will be announced shortly after the interviews.

“The wedding giveaway is our small way of saying thank you,” the Reeders said in a prepared statement. “To host 10,000 Belhurst weddings we’ve seen it all – big to small, buffet to plated dinners, arriving by horse drawn carriages to seaplanes and firetrucks – we wanted to do something special.”

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