NEW YORK, N.Y., June 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jewelry Information Center (JIC), the consumer education arm of Jewelers of America, announced that "An Unforgettable Performance" has won its fourth annual Ultimate Proposal Contest, a nationwide search for the best proposal story. Jewelers of America is the largest national association for fine jewelry businesses with more than 3,200 jewelry retail members throughout the U.S. with more than 10,000 jewelry retail locations from which to shop.
The story chosen as the nation's Ultimate Proposal was submitted by Drexel Hill, PA-resident Kevin Dietzler, whose theatrical proposal included a performance from a group of talented students, family and friends that made theater choreographer Abby Shunskis the star. As the Grand Prize winners, Kevin and his fiancée Abby won an Ultimate Bridal Shopping Spree that includes a $1,000 gift card to the Jewelers of America-member Barry Jay Jewelers in Springfield, PA and a $1,000 gift card to David's Bridal®. The grand prize also includes a pair of Lenox® Devotion champagne flutes, courtesy of Lenox, and a $25 American Express® gift card, courtesy of Jewelers of America.
JIC's Ultimate Proposal Contest invited couples to submit their proposal stories at JIC's website, www.JIC.org, and asked America to vote for their favorite. Over 22,000 votes were cast during the voting period. To determine the Grand Prize winner, a panel of judges reviewed the 20 entries that received the most votes and selected "An Unforgettable Performance" as the ultimate proposal story.
"The Ultimate Proposal Contest emphasizes how one piece of jewelry can symbolize the promise of eternal love. 'An Unforgettable Performance' had the ingredients of an extraordinary proposal – uniqueness, surprise - and, of course, a sparkling engagement ring!" says Amanda Gizzi, Jewelers of America Director of Communications and spokesperson for Jewelry Information Center.
To win the Grand Prize, Dietzler's entry included video footage of the performance and his bride-to-be's surprised reaction:
"As we walked in, there was no one [in] sight. The theater was empty except for the camera Abby thought was set up for our rehearsal. I left her in the theater, and as I walked out, the music starting playing. Backstage, I got to watch everyone on their way out to sing to Abby and give her the surprise of her life. I met my brothers backstage who helped me change quickly into my suit and then my mom handed me the ring. I climbed the steps to the top of the set, took a deep breath, and walked out to a sea of smiling faces and the girl of my dreams in the middle of it all. As the song ended, I walked down the steps, gave her my heart, and we are now happily engaged."
"We couldn't be more grateful to Jewelers of America for selecting our proposal as the winning entry," says Dietzler. "We are truly honored considering all of the beautiful couples and amazing stories that were included in the contest this year." Dietzler and Shunskis are scheduled to wed on June 13, 2014.
Jewelry Information Center's website, www.JIC.org, is the source for fine jewelry trends and shopping information. Visitors can view the hottest jewelry trends, get proposal ideas, gain savvy shopping tips and find reputable Jewelers of America-member retailers nationwide.
Sponsors of JIC's Ultimate Proposal Contest include David's Bridal® and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company.
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=19259
CONTACT:Amanda Gizzi
Jewelry Information Center
646-658-5811
agizzi@jewelers.org
