THE QUEEN MARY PROVIDES A BREATHTAKING BACKDROP FOR WEDDINGS, RECEPTIONS AND HONEYMOONS

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Long Beach, Calif. -- The Queen Mary, famed ocean liner turned historic hotel and attraction permanently berthed in Southern California's Long Beach Harbor, provides an elegant - and unique - backdrop for the perfect wedding. Once aboard, couples can host their rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, reception and spend their wedding night or honeymoon in an original first-class stateroom.

Weddings at The Royal Wedding Chapel

In the fall of 1972, a year and a half after the Queen Mary attraction was launched, the Royal Wedding Chapel opened its doors as a venue for exchanging vows. While at sea, it served as the second-class smoking lounge where a steward's pantry and service bar provided refreshments to the guests from behind the forward bulkhead. When the ship was sailing, the room seated 160 passengers and featured large, upholstered chairs. Matching tables with reversible tops were used for writing and, more often, for playing cards.

Today the chapel's elegant doors, which were repositioned from the Verandah Grill on Sun Deck, open to reveal rich British brown oak burl walls, marvelously crafted to resemble waves, with walnut pillar accents. The Royal Wedding Chapel seats up to 200 guests, and is the site of more than 200 nuptials annually. Ceremonies are performed seven days a week, excluding holidays.

The Royal Wedding Chapel offers professional assistance in planning and organizing the wedding, rehearsal, a sitting room for the bride, recorded music selection, full floral services, complete photography packages and a uniformed Ship's Officer to perform non-denominational services.

Deck ceremonies are also available, held only in conjunction with a reception aboard the Queen Mary. Deck ceremonies are scheduled at either 10:30 a.m. or 4:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and/or Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Restrictions and blackout dates may apply; holiday availability and pricing may vary.

Art Deco Receptions

Travel time from the wedding site to the reception location is easily eliminated when couples host the post-nuptial celebration in one of the ship's many Art Deco salons. Elegant wedding receptions for 10 or 2,000 include hors d'oeuvres, champagne, sparkling cider, a full luncheon or dinner, choice of wedding cake and overnight accommodations for the newlywed couple. The ship offers more than 85,000 square feet of space in 16 remarkable salons, each uniquely decorated with warm wood paneling, highlighted by original paintings and larger-than-life murals, brass and nickel-silver fixtures and etched, leaded-glass accents.

Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Luncheons & Intimate Wedding Receptions

The Queen Mary also offers three harbor view restaurants for pre-wedding breakfasts, bridal luncheons or rehearsal dinners. Each restaurant offers 1930s ambiance along with Art Deco splendor, and can be reserved for private parties and intimate wedding receptions. Queen Mary's Executive Chef Tom Tassone was recently named 2001 Chef of the Year by the Southern California Restaurant Writer's Association.

The Promenade Cafe is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and is perfect for wedding morning breakfasts, luncheons or casual "get to know the family" dinners. House specialties include overstuffed omelettes, unique sandwiches, gourmet and traditional burgers, pasta, sensational seafood, Certified Angus Beef(tm) and creative salads.

For bridal luncheons, rehearsal dinners and receptions, the Chelsea offers award-winning seafood specialties including fresh fish grilled to perfection as well as a vast selection of shellfish such as lobster, scallops, shrimp and crab. Landlubbers can enjoy an array of appetizers, chicken and beef dishes, pasta, sandwiches and salads. The Chelsea is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

For those in search of "the" elegant evening, Sir Winston's provides those special touches for pre-nuptial dinners, intimate wedding receptions or special celebrations. A meal at Sir Winston's is a true epicurean experience with its award-winning California and Continental cuisine, impeccable service and breathtaking views. Specialties include prime cuts of beef, game, poultry, seafood selections and pasta.

Champagne Sunday Brunch is another wonderful spot for newlyweds to gather with family and reminisce about their Saturday celebration. The weekly event is served in the Grand Salon, the ship's original First Class Dining Room, and features 11 international culinary stations plus a pint-size children's buffet.

Arrangements can be made to reserve a portion of any restaurant or the entire venue for an event.

Honeymoon Accommodations

When Elizabeth Taylor wed hotel heir Nicky Hilton in 1950, the two set sail for a European honeymoon aboard the Queen Mary. Decades later, newlyweds still flock to the Queen Mary to relax in the privacy of their own first class stateroom. Spacious suites have been named after famous occupants from a bygone era: The Churchill Suite, The Windsor Suite and The Eisenhower Suite.

Each cabin is uniquely appointed with period-style furnishings and Art Deco accents, and equipped with the most modern of conveniences. The extensive corridors, curving from the ship's bow to the stern and enhanced with rich wood and miles of bold motif carpeting, segue into separate passages leading to the thresholds of the first-class staterooms. Portholes provide the framing for picturesque views of the harbor and city skyline. Hotel Queen Mary Packages, including the Queen Mary Package, the Royal Romance Package, the Family Package, the Bed and Brunch Package and the Queen Mary-Catalina Getaway Package, offer a variety of accommodations, meals, tours and amenities.

The Hotel Queen Mary houses 365 first-class staterooms and offers convenient accommodations for the bridal party and out-of-town wedding guests. Registered hotel guests receive the Queen Mary Self-Guided Shipwalk Tour free of charge.

The Queen Mary is located at the south end of the 710 Freeway, on the water in Long Beach, California. Just 20 miles south of Los Angeles, the Queen Mary is conveniently located just minutes from Los Angeles International, Long Beach and Orange County Airports. For more information on weddings and honeymoons, please call (562) 435-3511 or go to http://www.queenmary.com