TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Business of
happily ever afterSo it is who you know that matters. A long-time business relationship spanning from the East Coast to Hawaii will net Outrigger Hotels & Resorts some precious air time in a touchy-feely event sure to evoke tears across an equally wide span.
Declining to be named in this column, TheBuzz's source, half of the aforementioned business connection, participated in a matchmaking made for media.
On today's CBS Early Show, the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach hotel was scheduled to be part of two love stories, each half a century old.
Some 50 years ago this week Bob and Arlene Naylor of New York and Harry and Pat Moneypenny of Tennessee were married on a CBS-TV show called "Bride and Groom."
Fast-forward to today's "Week of Wishes" segment of the CBS Early Show. The Naylor's and Moneypenny's grown children wrote to executives of the show telling their parents' stories and "wishing" that the happily-ever-after couples could be mentioned.
This is where the who-you-know part comes in.
The East-West biz-buds hooked up CBS with Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and the latter two cooked up a connubial conspiracy.
The Naylors and Moneypennys were flown to New York City, led to believe they'd be seated in the studio audience this morning to enjoy the show and reminisce. Instead, they were to be taken to the new wedding chapel at CBS' plaza for an I-do redo ceremony with a minister, choir and flowers.
Following the ceremony CBS Early Show anchor Jane Clayson was to congratulate the couples with their first trip to Hawaii for a second honeymoon at the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach hotel.
The hotel's director of guest services, Keikilani Kainoa, and Public Relations Manager Noelani Whittington were to be on hand with fresh Big Island orchid lei and answers to questions the couples were likely to have about the travel package.
The network and hotel will provide the Naylors and Moneypennys with round-trip air fare to Kona, six nights and seven days in oceanfront accommodations. They were also invited to partake of a vow renewal ceremony aboard a catamaran -- during the Kona coast's fabled and oft-photographed sunset. A far cry indeed from the hills of Pennsylvania where both couples originally honeymooned.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com