Free Wedding for a 'Berry' Lucky Couple at the Strawberry Festival

The Florida Strawberry Festival is offering a free wedding on Saturday 28th February 2009 at 5.30pm. 

The couple chosen to get married during the Strawberry Festival will have to apply and match certain conditions laid down by the organisers of the Festival.

They must write and produce a 300 to 500 word essay on why they would love to win, submit a photograph of themselves and it must be a first marriage for both partners and the most important condition is they must live in East Hillsborough.

The bride and groom will win an all expense paid wedding which consists of:

  • A strawberry themed wedding.
  • Free entrance for eight members of the wedding party.
  • Free entrance to the Festival for fifty guests.
  • A wedding cake made from strawberry shortcake.
  •  A complete photo package.
  • Accommodation for a one night in the Red Rose Inn and Suites.
  • Brunch for the bride and groom on their first day as man and wife.


Idea Came While Talking to Sister

Angel Carter who is the Festival’s show tent chairwoman came up with the promotion idea while talking with her sister. 

She said “My sister and I started talking about a strawberry wedding sometime in June," Carter said. "The more we talked about it, the better it seemed. Then, sometime in July, I brought the idea to Sunny Smith [a festival employee], and we hammered out some of the details. We felt like we were really on to something. From there we passed the idea on to the festival administrative assistant."

When the idea was put before the officials there was a few who were not at first enthusiastic about but soon came around to thinking it would be a very good way of promoting the strawberry festival and may even work on a national level.

Local sponsors have been approached to help offset most of the cost towards the wedding which the committee members feel will not be a problem.

Although the happy couple will be having their wedding paid for they will get to choose their own minister to marry them in the festival show tent.

No doubt all potential brides and grooms will be crossing fingers and saying up silent prayers that their name is announced on the 10th October 2008.