S. Florida Tourism Dedicates Month to Romance

Miami Herald: South Florida tourism officials are saying "I do" to romance. In an effort to grab a bigger chunk of the nation's $74 billion wedding industry, visitors bureaus are rolling out campaigns to boost the area's reputation as a destination for popping the question, tying the knot and getting away post-nuptials.

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is launching a new nearly $500,000 effort with bridal behemoth The Knot to promote the area to the betrothed, kicking off in the next couple weeks and culminating with Miami Romance Month in June.

"You think about the whole life cycle of the process of getting married," said the bureau's executive vice president-chief marketing officer, Rolando Aedo. There's the proposal, bachelor and bachelorette party, wedding or commitment ceremony, honeymoon and eventual anniversary and vow renewal. "We'd like them to come to Miami over and over."

Miami Romance Month will include deals from hotels, restaurants, attractions, bridal shops and other wedding vendors throughout Miami-Dade, where 21,501 marriage licenses were granted last year. "Every wedding is another bride," said Jacqueline Volkart, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, which will participate. "We create guests for life usually."

The tourism bureau - which boasts beaches as well as nontraditional venues like the new Herzog & de Meuron-designed parking garage on South Beach- is working now to encourage all interested parties to come up with romance-themed deals in June. Special offers are likely to catch brides' attention, said Carley Roney, co-founder of wedding planning site TheKnot.com. "They can only go so over budget," she said. "And they really have big wedding visions."

"Miami has a lot of sex appeal to people. They know it's a luxurious city, they know it's a fun city, they know there is great travel to do there," she said. "But I don't think people really know there are amazing wedding professionals there as well, so it could be the all-in-one package."

Although Miami-Dade will observe Miami Romance Month for only one month out of the year, Aedo said the push to bring more weddings-and-romance business to the area - and possibly lure customers away from the Caribbean -will last year-round.

Already an international wedding destination for its concentration of wedding-oriented shops and services, Coral Gables is playing a heavy role in the promotion. The final phase of "Marry Me in Miami" will unfold in a challenge between five couples on a closed-down Miracle Mile on June 22. The Biltmore and other Gables vendors are donating the grand prize wedding.

Tourism officials are hoping that mix of tropical destinations and relative bargains will help their still-recovering industry emerge from the doldrums of the last couple years. Roney said that while more than a third of South Florida brides said their plans were affected by the economy, the weddings still marched on.

"No matter what happens in the economy, the world keeps getting married," she said. "I can see why the visitors bureau says 'Yes, it's great to have all the tourists. But I like the tourists that come and bring 105 guests.' It's a smart investment for an area to say we want more weddings."

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