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Would you like to get married on ‘Today'?

If so, read the official rules for 'Today Throws a Destination Wedding,' and learn more about participating in our special series.

July 7, 2004

OFFICIAL RULES

These are the official rules for “TODAY THROWS A DESTINATION WEDDING." The NBC News morning television program TODAY is giving a wedding and honeymoon to a couple who will be chosen by TODAY and TODAY viewers.  The wedding will be scheduled for broadcast, live, on NBC’s TODAY show. 

1. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
Anyone considering submitting an application to participate in this event should read all of the information below for eligibility rules, requirements of participation and an explanation of what the wedding couple will receive. 

Please note that all entrants must be willing to, among other things:

  • make themselves available to be interviewed and videotaped by TODAY,
  • provide all of the information requested in the entry form,
  • allow TODAY to conduct a background check on them, and
  • appear on TODAY if selected as finalists

The wedding couple must agree, among other things:

  • to make themselves available for multiple appearances on TODAY and for related publicity and promotions,
  • to be married during a broadcast of the TODAY show, on a date chosen by TODAY,
  • to agree that viewers and others will decide upon numerous elements of the wedding, without input from the couple,
  • to TRAVEL TO AND BECOME MARRIED AT A DESTINATION TO BE SELECTED BY VIEWERS.  THIS LOCATION MAY BE ANYWHERE EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE CONTINENTIAL UNITED STATES,
  • to depart immediately following the wedding reception for a honeymoon arranged by TODAY.

The requirements detailed in these Official Rules cannot be waived or changed except by TODAY, and entrants who cannot perform these requirements or make the necessary time commitment, or whose religion does not permit a marriage outside of a religious dwelling should not submit an entry form.

PLEASE NOTE: This opportunity is open only to currently engaged couples consisting of a male and a female, who are legal residents of the United States currently residing in the continental United States, each of whom is at least 21 years of age as of July 7, 2004, and each of whom complies with the additional requirements set forth in these Rules.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited or restricted by applicable federal or state laws and regulations.

2. TO ENTER
To enter, go to www.today.msnbc.com, click on the “TODAY THROWS A DESTINATION WEDDING” Application Form and complete and submit the application form as indicated. The application form consists of a series of questions, including name, address, e-mail address, background information about each of the individuals involved, family information, and other detailed and personal information. The application includes essay questions, for which applicants must compose original answers consisting of up to 100 words or less, as indicated on the application form. In addition to submitting a completed application form, the couple should submit, as instructed on the Web site, a photo of the couple together. The photo must not be retouched or otherwise edited or modified other than as necessary to scan the photo into digitized form.

Each couple may only enter one completed application form (with photo).  Entries may be submitted beginning at 8:00 A.M. EST on July 7, 2004, and entries may be received up to 11:59 P.M. EST on July 24, 2004. At least one entrant of each couple must be the registered subscriber of the e-mail account from which the entry is made. 

By completing the application, entrants agree to receive e-mails and/or other materials from NBC.

For more privacy information, please see the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for MSNBC.com: http://privacy.msn.com/

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To enter and to be eligible to receive the TODAY wedding and honeymoon, entrants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • each couple submitting a completed application form must consist of a male and a female, each of whom is at least 21 years of age as of July 7, 2004
  • both individual applicants must be currently living in the same metropolitan or geographic area within the U.S.
  • the couple must have been engaged to be married for at least one month prior to July 7, 2004
  • each individual must be a legal resident of the continental United States and must have a valid United States passport;
  • each individual must not be subject to any travel restrictions and must agree to get the requisite shots, if necessary;
  • each of the individuals must be of good moral character, must have never been convicted of a crime of any nature (other than moving violations of a misdemeanor type that did not involve personal injury, drugs or alcohol), and must have nothing in their background that would be an embarrassment to NBC News or TODAY
  • each applicant must be willing to undergo a background check conducted by TODAY and willing to sign waiver forms authorizing the release of personal and background information;
  • each applicant must be willing to have their wedding ceremony performed at a location to be selected by TODAY, possibly outside of the continental United States;
  • each applicant must be available to travel by airplane, automobile, boat, helicopter, train or any other vehicle of TODAY’s choosing to an undisclosed location given approximately 24 hours notice;
  • each applicant must not be an elected official or not currently running for any political office (local, state or federal);
  • each applicant must be willing to sign an affidavit attesting to the truth of the facts in the application form and attesting that each applicant meets all  the eligibility requirements.
  • each of the guests who will be invited to attend the wedding are legal residents of the continental U.S., have a valid U.S. passport, are not subject to any travel restriction, and must agree to get the requisite shots, if necessary;     

Selected entrants must also be willing to undertake the following:

  • to be interviewed by telephone, and to either appear in a videotape produced by TODAY or to submit a videotape in which the entrant couple appears
  • to make themselves available to travel to New York to appear on TODAY at least once a week for a period of up to 12 weeks
  • to make themselves available for videotaped appearances to air on TODAY, and to ask friends and family to appear as well
  • to make themselves available to attend fittings and to engage in public appearances and in photo shoots, as needed by TODAY
  • to make themselves available for an appearance on TODAY following the honeymoon.  

The entrants selected as the couple to be wed must be prepared to be legally married in a wedding to be broadcast on television and organized by TODAY. Entrants must be willing to accept choices made by TODAY, viewers, Web site users and others (and without input from the couple) as to significant elements of the wedding, such as: nature and length of ceremony, choice of wedding dress, groom’s and wedding party attire, cake, flowers, music, wedding rings, honeymoon itinerary, wedding destination and scheduling, and other elements to be furnished by and in the sole discretion of TODAY. 

Entrants must agree that, if selected as the wedding couple, they will TRAVEL TO AND BECOME MARRIED AT A DESTINATION selected by TODAY and the viewers of TODAY to be aired on TODAY on a date chosen by TODAY, and will be prepared to immediately depart for a honeymoon destination that the final couple will be told about on the day of the wedding. The wedding is currently scheduled to take place during the week of November 8, 2004. This date is subject to change in the sole discretion of TODAY. Entrants must make themselves available prior to the day of the wedding to meet any marriage license requirements of the chosen destination and at TODAY'S election forfeit the Prize if they do not meet any such marriage license requirements.

Entrants must agree that, if selected as the wedding couple, they will be married on TODAY on a date chosen by TODAY, and will be prepared to immediately depart for a honeymoon destination that the final couple will be told about on the day of the wedding. The wedding is currently scheduled to take place during the week of November 8, 2004. This date is subject to change in the sole discretion of TODAY.

Entrants must agree, if they are among the preliminary group of couples identified (see Selection Process, below), to make themselves exclusively available to TODAY for publicity and promotion, and must agree that they will not allow interviews by other media outlets, including television, magazines, newspapers, radio, and Internet, unless authorized by TODAY, from the time the four finalists are announced, through the final on-air appearance of the wedding couple.

Employees of NBC Universal, Inc. ("NBC"), MSNBC Cable LLC ("MSNBC"), MSNBC.com, NBC's affiliated TV stations or Web site, TARGET, General Electric and their respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as members of their immediate families and households (including children and siblings) are not eligible.

4. SELECTION PROCESS
All judging shall be done by representatives of NBC. The decisions of the judges are final and entrants agree to be bound by these decisions.  

TODAY in its sole discretion will select a preliminary group of couples from eligible entries (completed application form plus photograph) submitted. TODAY will begin reviewing entries as they are received, and will end the selection process when a preliminary group of qualified couples has been chosen.

Selection criteria used by the judges shall include:

  • The couple’s responses contained in the completed applications;
  • The personality of each entrant, individually and as a couple;
  • The demonstrated strength of couple’s commitment;
  • The nature of the couple’s history and background (how each couple met, became engaged, how long they have been engaged, the relationship of the couple with family members and friends, and any other factors that make the couple’s story unique or compelling), and
  • The appearance of the couple, both individually and as a couple.

From the preliminary group of couples, TODAY will then select up to 20  semifinalist couples, based on these factors, plus telephone interviews with the couples. These semifinalist couples will be required as a condition of continued eligibility to complete and sign an .

The semifinalist couples thus selected will be interviewed by TODAY and may be asked to participate in the filming of a videotaped interview in their hometown by representatives of TODAY or to submit a 3-minute videotape of themselves. 

The semifinalist couples will also be subject to background checks to verify and determine additional information about each of the individuals.

Based on the interviews, the videotapes, the background checks and the selection criteria noted above, 4 finalist couples shall be selected by TODAY, in its sole discretion. These 4 finalist couples may, in the sole discretion of TODAY, appear live or on videotape on TODAY during the week of August 30, on a date TODAY currently anticipates will be September 1, 2004, but which is subject to change. 

Thereafter, pictures of the finalist couples, and a brief synopsis prepared by TODAY regarding each of the couples will be placed on the TODAY Web site. Viewers will be asked to vote on which couple shall receive the TODAY wedding. Each viewer may vote only once. Multiple entries will be voided. 

The couple that receives the most votes by the date and time specified on the Web site will be announced as the wedding couple on TODAY the week of September 6, 2004, currently scheduled to be September 8, but which is subject to change as necessary by TODAY. The finalist couples may, in the sole discretion of TODAY, appear on the TODAY show on that date, and the wedding couple may, in TODAY’s discretion, be announced live during the broadcast of the show.

If there is a tie (if two couples receive an equal number of votes by viewers), the couple will be selected based on a final interview by TODAY judges, and will be in the sole discretion of TODAY. 

If the wedding couple is disqualified or otherwise unable to fulfill the requirements asked of them, a second couple from among the 4 finalist couples, selected by TODAY, may receive the TODAY wedding and honeymoon.

5. THE TODAY WEDDING SELECTION
After the wedding couple is selected, the couple will appear on TODAY, if requested by TODAY, once a week for up to 12 weeks, for weekly TODAY on-air segments devoted to wedding planning. TODAY currently intends these segments shall be on Wednesday of each week, but dates are subject to change at TODAY’s discretion.

Each weekly segment will be devoted to one aspect of wedding planning such as wedding attire, cake, wedding rings, honeymoon destination and the like. Each weekly segment will feature a number of examples of such elements of a wedding. For example, the bridal gown segment may feature a number of gowns by a number of designers. After each such segment, TODAY shall select some choices (for example, 4 different gowns) and, by 10:00 am EST of the day that the segment airs, those choices will be posted on the TODAY Web site and viewers will have an opportunity to vote for one of the designated choices, until the voting deadline announced on air and on the Web site. The item or element that receives the most votes will be featured in the TODAY wedding. Viewers will also be asked to vote on one of four wedding destinations and honeymoon destination choices, and the viewers’ votes will determine where the TODAY wedding couple will be married and goes on their honeymoon.

The wedding couple must agree not to disclose publicly their preferred choices or to otherwise attempt to influence viewers’ votes, for any of the elements of the wedding or the honeymoon destination.

6. WEDDING AND HONEYMOON
The couple selected to receive the TODAY wedding will receive and participate in a televised wedding. TODAY in its sole discretion shall determine and/or approve the length, content and nature of the wedding ceremony, with emphasis on the demands of a live television program.  The wedding provided by TODAY shall consist of:

  • A wedding ceremony officiated by a person selected by TODAY or officiated by an individual chosen by the couple and approved by TODAY, provided that individual is legally entitled to perform marriages in the location selected for the wedding ceremony;
  • wedding attire for the bride and groom (groom’s outfit may be rented);
  • full makeup and hairstyling for the bride;
  • wedding attire for the wedding party, including up to 5 people on each side, as follows: on the bride’s side – the bride and up to 4 attendants, one of whom may be a flower girl.  On the groom’s side – the groom and up to 4 groom’s attendants, one of whom may be a ring bearer. (Certain outfits may be rented.);
  • wedding flowers;
  • wedding music;
  • wedding reception designed by TODAY;
  • wedding cake;
  • wedding rings;
  • travel (from within the continental United States) to the destination selected for the wedding and overnight hotel accommodations for: the bride, the groom, the wedding party and selected guests, which shall consist of a total of no more than 20 people including the bride and groom
  • a honeymoon for the bride and groom at a destination which shall be announced on the day of the wedding.

Additional or different features or participants may be requested by the wedding couple, but are subject to approval by TODAY and additional costs may not be covered by TODAY.

The four couples who are chosen as finalists to appear on TODAY will be paid transportation costs, and will receive overnight hotel accommodations in New York, unless the couple resides in the metropolitan New York area. 

For the wedding couple, all reasonable expenses, including hotel, transportation and meals in connection with the couple’s weekly appearances on TODAY, and any publicity and promotion activities required by TODAY, will be paid for by TODAY. 

Travel and hotel arrangements shall be determined by TODAY, which, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to provide ground or other transportation in lieu of air transportation. Regarding all travel provided by TODAY, certain restrictions may apply. 

The wedding shall take place and honeymoon must be taken on dates and times designated by NBC or another couple may be selected by TODAY to receive a wedding. The wedding and honeymoon cannot be transferred or redeemed for cash.

All members of the wedding party and other guests invited to attend the destination wedding ceremony must complete a liability and publicity release, which will be supplied by TODAY, and must possess the requisite travel documents, such as a passport and/or visa, and must not be subject to any travel restrictions. If a member(s) of the wedding party or another guest is unable to travel to the wedding ceremony for any reason, then TODAY reserves the right to select an alternate winner or to prohibit the guest from attending the wedding. All members of the wedding party must complete a liability and publicity release, which will be supplied by TODAY.

TODAY further reserves the right to postpone or cancel “TODAY THROWS A DESTINATION WEDDING” and any component thereof, including without limitation, the selection process, the wedding and the honeymoon or cancel the broadcast of the wedding for any reason, in the sole discretion of TODAY. In all events, TODAY reserves the right to substitute the wedding and honeymoon or elements thereof with other items of equal or greater value at their sole discretion. The wedding couple shall be responsible for applicable taxes and other expenses. TODAY reserves the right to select the venue in its sole discretion.

7. DISQUALIFICATION
MULTIPLE ENTRIES RECEIVED FROM ANY PERSONS OR E-MAIL ADDRESS WILL VOID ALL SUCH ADDITIONAL ENTRIES. Entries generated by a script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified. Entries that are incomplete, illegible or corrupted are void and will not be accepted.

NBC is not responsible for telecommunications, network, electronic, technical or computer failures of any kind, for inaccurate transcription of entry information, for errors in any promotional or marketing materials, for errors in these rules, for any human or electronic error, or for entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late, damaged, or postage due.

All entries, including application forms and photos, become the property of NBC and will not be acknowledged or returned. 

Caution: Any attempt by an entrant or any other individual to deliberately damage any online service or Web site or undermine the legitimate operation of TODAY is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, NBC reserves the right to seek damages and/or other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

8. DISCLAIMER
All entrants and participants assume all liability for any injury or damages caused or claimed to be caused by their participation in this special event, including the acceptance of the wedding and honeymoon. All entrants and participants release NBC Universal, Inc. ("NBC"), MSNBC Cable LLC ("MSNBC"), MSNBC.com, NBC's affiliated TV stations or Web site, TARGET, General Electric and their respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as their respective officers, directors, and employees, from any such liability. 

NBC Universal, Inc. ("NBC"), MSNBC Cable LLC ("MSNBC"), MSNBC.com, NBC's affiliated TV stations or Web site, TARGET, General Electric and their respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as their respective officers, directors, and employees assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrant’s or to any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from entering or downloading materials or software. NBC Universal, Inc. ("NBC"), MSNBC Cable LLC ("MSNBC"), MSNBC.com, NBC's affiliated TV stations or Web site, TARGET, General Electric and their respective advertising and promotion agencies, their parent, subsidiary and joint venture companies, as well as their respective officers, directors, and employees are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this event or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in this event. 

Completion of an entry form constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use entrants’ name, city, state, likeness and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation and constitutes agreement by entrants to be bound by these Official Rules.

9. ADDITIONAL RULES
TODAY THROWS A DESTINATION WEDDING is sponsored by NBC and TARGET. They reserve the right to terminate the entry period prior to its scheduled end date and to choose among entries received prior to the date of such termination.

Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the judges, whose decisions are final. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification from TODAY THROWS A DESTINATION WEDDING. NBC reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these rules.

Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and NBC in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the state of New York, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the state of New York.  If any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Official Rules, or the contest cannot be otherwise resolved, it shall be resolved in the courts of New York County, New York.

10.  ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL COUPLE
For the names of the wedding couple visit www.today.msnbc.com after September 1, 2004 or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to TODAY Throws a Destination Wedding, Wedding Couple Info, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112.