Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

We had the chance to feature the Bridal Bus Tour on Bridge Street yesterday in Syracuse.  Check out the segment with Chris Brandolino, Kaylea Nixon and our very own Jim Walter

_ The single most important decision made by a bride and groom in regards to their wedding day is the location.  Without a location, it is difficult to make any of the other decisions they need to make.  Madison County Tourism today announced a great way to help brides and grooms make that decision with its inaugural bridal bus tour. 

_On Sunday April 29, 2012 Madison County Tourism will treat engaged couples to a day of fun, as they travel to eight unique wedding venues across Madison County in luxury limo transportation.  The day will allow the happy couples to compare and contrast the locations and help them choose the perfect location to hold their ceremony or reception.

The tour will start in two locations, Oneida and Cazenovia, and the limos will spread out across the county to show off the historic, picturesque venues that make Madison County weddings so special.  Engaged couples will have the chance to visit the Oneida Community Mansion House, the Greystone Castle, Brae Loch Inn, Lincklaen House, Colgate Inn, Hamilton Inn and White Eagle Conference Center among others.  Catering and banquet staffs will be on hand at every location to talk about set ups, food, music and pricing.  Brides and grooms will also be able to meet with photographers, florists, disc jockeys, cake bakers, favor makers and other essential vendors.

Weddings are an important part of the marketing strategy for tourism in Madison County.  Each year they partner on a bridal guide and attend wedding shows.  They also have a dedicated wedding micro-site to help promote wedding venues and vendors.

Madison County Tourism executive director Jim Walter says weddings are big business.  “When someone chooses our venues for their reception there is a compounding effect on local businesses.  They may also set up a rehearsal dinner; hire a florist, photographer and disc jockey that are local.  It extends beyond the reception site, families, and the wedding party and guests all book hotel rooms.  While they are in town they visit local shops, restaurants and attractions.  The more weddings we can book in Madison County, the stronger our economy will be.”

One of the most heard comments from brides at wedding shows was that they’d love to check out Madison County locations like the Mansion House or Colgate Inn, but they just didn’t know when they’d find the time.  This tour aims to remove that barrier.  Eight venues in one day, a fun tour of the county in a limo or limo bus and access to a wide variety of vendors will make this time well spent for brides and grooms.

Tickets for the tour are limited to the first 50 couples and can be purchased online at www.madisontourism.com/weddings.  Interested couples or vendors can also call 800-684-7320 for more information.

Just wondering where the week has gone already and looking forward to this weekend.  Here are some links of interest for a Wednesday afternoon.

Steven Page, former singer and guitarist for Barenaked Ladies, weds at Fenner Wind Farm (Syracuse.com) The Barenaked Ladies have always been a staff favorite at MCT, so we are thrilled Steven and his new wife chose Madison County for their wedding.

Old Home Day July 30 in New Woodstock (Mid-York Weekly) New Woodstock is a great little hamlet along NYS Routes 13 and 80.  Take a motorcycle and drive those roads for a nice little event.

Get Pre-Registered for Ride for the ARC Today! (Madison County Courier) Speaking of motorcycle rides, here is a charity ride you won't want to miss. 

Saturday is Peterboro Hometown Days (Smithfield Community Association) Pies, concerts and a car show highlight this event

Weddings are big business in Madison County and in an effort to secure more of that business; Madison County Tourism launched their new wedding micro-site today.  The site can be found here.

The micro-site acts as a portal to help the bride-to-be find the necessary resources for their wedding day.  It features venues and services that cater to brides who either live in Madison County or are planning a wedding here.  “It is an effort to help connect businesses in Madison County that specialize in weddings with women who are planning to tie the knot,” said Jim Walter of Madison County Tourism.  “It gives us an opportunity to connect our member businesses to a very lucrative customer.”

The micro-site will be supported by targeted advertising on local and national websites from Syracuse.com to Facebook, along with appearances at select wedding shows and print advertising.    “The growth of social media has allowed for us to target engaged women much more effectively thereby enhancing the usefulness of a site like this,” Walter said.  

The web effort is being complemented by the first ever printed edition of a Madison County Wedding Guide, which should be published by the end of January.  

With the average cost of a wedding at nearly $20,000, Madison County Tourism is making a stronger effort to bring more of that business into the county, according to Walter.  He explains that since families are more spread out today and DWI laws are so strict weddings often mean a large number of hotel rooms sold in a community.  “We are blessed in Madison County with outstanding venues.  You can get married in a Ramada that looks like every other Ramada around the world, or you can have your special day in a living museum, a New England country inn or an historic mansion.  We really do have unique, elegant venues in this county,” said Walter.

The site and ad campaign was designed by ABC Creative Group (www.abccreativegroup.com) in Syracuse which has been the agency of record for Madison County Tourism, Inc. for the past six years. 

Madison County Tourism, Inc. is the official tourism promotion agency for Madison County.  It has over 200 member businesses and is headquartered in Morrisville, NY.  For more information visit them on the web at www.madisontourism.com.