Submit Your Love Story to Win a Wedding Atop New York City!

NEW YORK, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire State Building and the number one online wedding planning resource, TheKnot.com (www.theknot.com), today issued a call for entries to couples who wish to say "I do" at the world-famous landmark on Valentine's Day 2011.  For the 17th annual Empire State Building & TheKnot.com Valentine's Day Weddings event, 14 lucky couples will win a wedding, vow renewal or commitment ceremony at the icon on February 14. One Grand Prize winning couple, based on votes by TheKnot.com users, will receive a sunrise ceremony at the 86th floor Observatory, and a romantic four-day/three-night Luxury Included® Honeymoon at Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas, with airfare provided by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

Couples may enter at www.TheKnot.com/EmpireStateBuilding or www.esbnyc.com through October 25, 2010. Participants will be asked to submit their love story, photos and reason for wanting their ceremony at the Empire State Building. Winners will be selected based on the originality and creativity of their submissions, and their connection to the world's most famous building. Winners will be notified the week of November 1, 2010.

"We are excited to work with The Knot to provide a memorable wedding experience for these couples," said Melanie Maasch, Empire State Building Director of Brand Development and Public Relations.  "The Empire State Building has been the site of countless marriage proposals over the past 80 years, so this is the perfect place to wed on the most romantic day of the year."

Weddings on Valentine's Day have been a tradition at the Empire State Building since 1994. This is the one time each year weddings are hosted by the building immortalized in Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember. TheKnot.com editors will create a one-of-a-kind ceremony and provide exclusive planning, fashion and beauty tips to each couple.

"The Empire State Building is synonymous with romance," said Carley Roney, editor in chief of The Knot. "Whether it's a classic movie or a sky-high proposal, this international attraction has witnessed so many love stories. TheKnot.com is thrilled to be working with such an iconic landmark to offer couples an exclusive chance to experience their very own romantic moment."

TheKnot.com editors will lend their bridal expertise by transforming the Empire State Building wedding space and providing one-on-one style and beauty consultations to each of the couples.  Each private ceremony will last approximately 30 minutes for couples and up to 20 of their guests.  Following their nuptials, couples will enjoy a VIP trip to the world-famous 86th floor Observatory for photos featuring panoramic views.  For complete contest rules and details, please visit www.TheKnot.com/EmpireStateBuilding.

About Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the "World's Most Famous Office Building."  With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world.  The skyscraper's robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world's most beloved attractions and is the region's #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.esbnyc.com.

About TheKnot.com

The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource, reaching over a million engaged couples each year through the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com, The Knot national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot books (published by Random House and Chronicle). The Knot is the flagship brand of The Knot Inc. (Nasdaq: KNOT; http://www.theknot.com), the premier media company devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives.

About Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas:

The new Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas, is a 500-acre Luxury Included® oceanfront resort that offers five gourmet a la carte restaurants, premium brand wine and spirits, land and watersports, including snorkeling excursions and Scuba Diving for certified divers, gratuities and airport transfers. Sandals Emerald Bay is the first Sandals Resort to offer a Greg Norman-designed golf course, world-class marina, 29,000 sq. ft. signature Red Lane® Spa and professionally-trained butlers in all 183 rooms and suites. A sprawling island retreat, Sandals Emerald Bay, occupies a sublime, one-mile-long stretch of beach on Great Exuma, largest of the 360 islands comprising the Exuma district of The Bahamas. Great Exuma is just a short flight from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, FL and from Nassau, Bahamas. For more information visit Sandals.com.

SOURCE Empire State Building