A short time ago, we were invited to join a select group of high-end vendors and become one of the Romantic Partners in the Roman Jewelers Wedding and we are very excited about it! We felt our level and style of photography complimented the collection of fabulous vendors and we were excited to give back to a worthy cause in this charitable endeavor!
What is the Roman Jewelers Wedding you ask? Well, in a nutshell, it is a complete wedding, valued at about $100,000, donated by the vendors to one lucky couple. Obviously, we are providing the photography services. Other services include the venue, the dresses, the rings, the flowers, the cake and the list goes on.
The contestants were charged with the task of collecting donations for their chosen charity. Very simply, the couple that raised the highest donations won the competition. Of the nine finalists, Angela Rotella and Joseph Panico were the winners raising $33,647 for the Special Olympics of New Jersey! In all, the contestants raised nearly $100,000 for charities! Kudos to everyone for their efforts!
The wedding will be held at The Palace in Somerset, New Jersey on Valentine’s Day, 2010!
The Hunterdon County Democrat has this to say….
Hunterdon Central sweethearts win Roman
Jewelers’ $100K wedding
October 21, 2009, 3:28PM
WINNERS OF A $100,000 WEDDING are Angela Rotella and Joe Panico. They were the most successful of nine couples in Roman Jewelers’ contest that linked philanthropy with loving commitment.
FLEMINGTON — Angela Rotella says she’s getting a wedding that’s “even more than I could dream up,” her excitement multiplied by the memories that went with the work for Special Olympics New Jersey that made Angela and fiancé Joe Panico the winners of the Roman Jewelers $100,000 wedding contest.
The couple spread awareness of Special Olympics by contacting minor and major league teams and asking for small blocks of free tickets to distribute to the young athletes along with a chance to explain the nonprofit’s mission and goals at games.
The 10 couples chosen as finalists in the contest were randomly matched with groups and tasked with developing good deed plans. Rotella of Raritan Township and Panico of Readington Township said they were thrilled to learn that Special Olympics was their charity because both are big sports fans. The couple met during their freshman year at Hunterdon Central High School, where he played football and baseball. They have been a couple since their sophomore year, becoming officially engaged on Aug. 22 after picking out the ring at Roman Jewelers.
“We both love the Giants, and she loves the Mets. I love the Yankees,” said Panico on Monday. “We’re Devils fans by default because we’re in New Jersey.”
The Devils hockey team and three minor league baseball teams, the Somerset Patriots, Lakewood Blue Claws and Camden Riversharks, each provided seats for Special Olympians, group ticket rates for family members and coaches, and an important perk — visibility. At the baseball games the youngsters got a chance to take the field before the game or in between innings, while the goals and mission of Special Olympics were explained.
Panico thinks that sports fans were a good target audience, feeling that they’re as appreciative of T-ball players as they are of major league athletes. He said he wanted to get the word out that Special Olympics is a year-round program.
The couple’s “Taking the Plunge” effort was credited with raising more than $20,000 in cash and more than $13,000 worth of in-kind donations for Special Olympics.
Three judges chose Rotella and Panico from the nine couples who completed the fundraising challenge. Jewelry designer and judge Scott Kay said, “At first I didn’t take it (the contest) seriously, but the impact, by far, more than the dollars raised will be felt in the community. The memories, relationships, and bonds made will last for decades; it’s powerful beyond words.”
Roman Jewelers wedding finalists raised a total of $99,532.
Looking into the future, the couple is planning more awareness events with Special Olympics and Panico is considering coaching the young athletes. “We chose what we did because we wanted to work with the athletes,” said Rotella.
He said the couple previously enjoyed helping others, but had never organized a nonprofit event. His mother, Jill, was the one who urged them to enter the contest. When they were chosen as finalists, they worked “day and night” for two weeks to pull off the events. Seeing “the happiness we were giving the kids,” made them the priority, not the outcome of the contest, Panico said.
Nevertheless, with the deluxe wedding scheduled for Valentine’s Day, Panico is thrilled that his bride can “feel like a princess” on her wedding day.
The prize includes a reception at The Palace at Somerset Park, wedding gown and bridesmaids dresses from Mariage Couture, wedding cake by Ellie Kowal Cake Couture, diamond wedding bands by Tacori, pearls by Mikimoto, diamond cufflinks by Scott Kay, photography by Transposure Fine Art Photography Studio, hair and makeup by Salon Nu, floral design by Conroy’s Creations, limo service by AAA Guaranteed On-Time Limousine Service, carpet runner by the Flemington Department Store, skin care package by LeMedSpa, music by Craig Scott Entertainment, invitations by Occasions, and various gifts from Williams-Sonoma.
Roman Jewelers has stores in Flemington and at the Bridgewater Commons mall.
