McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants Launches “Perfect Catch” Contest

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Over the past thirty years, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants has raised a glass to countless brides- and grooms-to-be. To extend the celebration, McCormick & Schmick’s today launches “The Perfect Catch,” a contest which will grant one engaged couple a lavish rehearsal dinner valued at $3,000, or approximately double the average rehearsal dinner spend per couple in 2009.¹

The grand prize package also includes a consultation with a McCormick & Schmick’s mixologist during which the prospective bride and groom can create a personalized cocktail to be served at the rehearsal dinner.

“So many of our restaurants are the ideal venue for a wide range of wedding-related events, including rehearsal dinners, bridal luncheons, wedding brunches and more,” said Bill Freeman, CEO of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. “We are particularly passionate about celebrating the tradition of rehearsal dinners, as we have had a hand in planning so many memorable ones.”

The Perfect Catch invites engaged individuals from across the country that are 21 years of age and over and have a wedding date set between September 2010 and September 2011 to share how they landed “The Perfect Catch” in 150 words or less. Online entries will be accepted at www.McCormickandSchmicks.com/PerfectCatch beginning today and through July 4, 2010. Up to five deserving finalists will be chosen and posted on the McCormick & Schmick’s website and www.Facebook.com/McCormickandSchmicks on July 12 for an online vote through July 30. Finalists are encouraged to leverage their own social networks to garner votes. The grand prize winner will be announced in August and will begin planning the dream rehearsal dinner with a McCormick & Schmick’s wedding specialist at his or her convenience.

In addition to the grand prize-winner, two lucky runner-up prizes will be awarded to the entries with the second and third most votes, each of which will win either a wedding party/pre-wedding luncheon or an engagement cocktail reception at a participating McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant. Two third-prize entries will win a complimentary McCormick & Schmick’s Preferred Guest Membership with 2,000 bonus points.

To kick-off the contest, McCormick & Schmick’s assembled the restaurant group’s top wedding event experts - including private dining and banquet managers from Portland, Ore., to Reston, Va., and several McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant locations in between - who recommend the following tips for rehearsal dinner planning:

• It’s OK; it really is all about you! The best place to start is with what you want; customization is king at McCormick and Schmick’s. Sure we can bring an East Coast Fish Fry to life in Kansas City and if you really want a Great Gatsby type evening with a Bonnie & Clyde feel, we will do it – we’ve done it before.
• Complement but don’t overshadow the Big Day. A rehearsal dinner should be different from the formal wedding day reception. If a seated dinner with steak on the menu and an open bar is planned for the wedding reception then an informal seafood buffet with wine, beer and soft drinks may be the perfect complement.
• Don’t go overboard with the guest list. It will be great to see your second cousin and the neighbors from three moves ago at the wedding but we recommend limiting the rehearsal dinner to the wedding party and immediate and out of town family.
• We can keep a secret and the peace. So your family’s not perfect – welcome to the club. Tell us your concerns up front and we can create a stress-free, fun and memorable evening. And we can keep a secret; just ask the couple who asked us not to tell their parents that they were already married.
• The early bird gets the best rehearsal dinner. Ideally, start scouting and eventually securing a venue several months in advance. And when it comes to planning, please don’t be shy about sharing your budget parameters because we can accommodate a wide range with customizable options that can be as affordable or as lavish as you choose.

As part of McCormick & Schmick’s Perfect Catch program, the restaurants will also be offering limited-time complimentary concierge services to any guest that books a wedding-related event at a participating restaurant. Concierge services include personal menu consultation with the restaurant’s culinary team, custom cocktail consultation with a McCormick & Schmick’s mixologist, a $100 dining certificate to help the couple celebrate their first anniversary, and others. Those interested in planning an event with McCormick & Schmick’s should contact their local McCormick & Schmick’s and ask to speak with a private event coordinator, or visit the Banquets and Events page on the McCormick and Schmick’s website.

For official contest rules, additional information about The Perfect Catch and event planning tips from the experts at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, please visit www.McCormickandSchmicks.com/PerfectCatch.

About McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants focus on serving a broad selection of fresh seafood with a menu printed twice daily and featuring the signature “Fresh List” highlighting an impressive variety of fresh seafood, in addition to aged steaks, poultry, entrée salads and pasta. Each restaurant’s chef contributes to the menu’s unique and imaginative appeal by creating dishes tailored to regional tastes and their own talents. McCormick & Schmick's offers an inviting atmosphere and a high quality, diverse menu for everyone from casual diners, families and tourists to business travelers and special occasion diners. The ideal venue for a wide range of wedding-related events, including bridal luncheons, post-wedding family brunches, and bachelor/bachelorette cocktail parties, each McCormick & Schmick’s location is particularly passionate about celebrating the tradition of rehearsal dinners. Learn more at www.McCormickandSchmicks.com.

¹ According to a survey conducted by The Knot, in which more than 21,000 US couples of mixed ethnicities, education, and income levels were polled across 50 states. Wedding dates of those polled fell between January 2009 and December 2009. (http://www.theknotinc.com/press-releases-home/2010-press-releases/2010-02-17-real-weddings-survey-results-2009.aspx)