Balloon Festival Salutes The Royal Wedding

LUCKY COUPLE CAN RENEW THEIR VOWS IN QUEEN’S GUARD BALLOON

 

READINGTON, NJ — Do you want your own royal wedding?

 

While all eyes will be on Windsor Castle for the royal wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, wedding fever will continue here this summer. 

 

No, we don’t know if the royal couple will be honeymooning in Readington, but one lucky couple will get to renew their wedding vows while riding in an 85-foot-tall Queen’s Guard special shaped hot air balloon at the 36th annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank on July 27. 

 

“Every bride wants to feel like a princess on her wedding day,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. “So we’re going to recreate a truly uplifting and royal magical moment for one lucky couple.”

 

“We wanted to create something typically British and what is more iconic than a Grenadier Guard from Buckingham Palace?” said hot air balloon pilot Paul Burrows of Lighter Than Air ballooning in Bristol, England, who designed and built the Busby Queen’s Guard balloon in June 2017.

 

Since the reign of King Charles II, the Queen’s Guard (King’s Guard when the reigning monarch is male) has been responsible for guarding the Sovereign’s palaces. Despite the perception that they are ceremonial, the Queen’s Guards are fully operational soldiers. While The Foot Guards are also fully operational soldiers, part of their duty is to guard The Queen and her residences.

 

Busby is the English name for the fur military head-dress made worn by the Queens guard.

 

In addition to its flight for the royal wedding contest, the eight-story-tall, 117,000-cubic-foot Queen’s Guard special shaped balloon will fly twice each day during the annual Festival at Solberg Airport. It will be one of 100 balloons from around the world and one of 10 special shaped balloons that will take flight over the scenic Hunterdon County countryside at the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America from July 27-29, 2018.

 

To enter the “Royal Wedding Contest,” entrants must submit a video explaining why they are the most loyal and royal Balloonatics worthy of this grand prize fit for a Queen. The video that has the most likes by May 31, 2018 at noon will be selected as the recipient of this royal package. 

 

Videos can be uploaded to https://balloonfestival.com/entertainment/royalcontest.

 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Russ Mensch

Mensch & Company, Inc.

Public Relations & Event Marketing

phone: 201-797-2448

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