Pee Wee’s at the Point in East Point Reserve has been revealed as the secret location for the wedding ceremony in the Nine Network’s Today Win a Top End Wedding competition.

Selected from more than 13,000 entrants vying for the $75,000 prize, competition winners Lauren and Steve were blindfolded and driven to the secret location with their wedding planner Belinda Nolan, from Darwin company Creative Two. Upon arrival, they were guided down to Pee Wee’s beachfront lawn, where the blindfolds were removed to reveal the location of their impending nuptials ceremony.

Thrilled by what they saw, Lauren and Steve were then introduced to Lily Matthews from Pee Wee's, who provided a private tour of the venue, and explained how the wedding would be set up on the lawn overlooking the water, with the CBD in the distance. Over a glass of bubbles Lauren and Steve discussed decorations for the ceremony with Lily, who then arranged for them to taste test platters of delicious local produce.

Next was a meeting with local photographer Jesse Azzopardi, who took some sample shots and gave them a sneak peek as to what they can expect for their big day.

Lauren and Steve will be experiencing more of the Top End’s tourism hot spots in coming weeks, with the locations of the much-anticipated hen’s and buck’s parties still top secret and honeymoon destination still to be chosen.

Dubbed as the television wedding of the year, Lauren and Steve’s Top End Wedding will be broadcast live on Channel Nine’s Today on Monday, 6 May from 6am.

Quotes from Tourism NT Deputy Chief Executive Andrew Hopper

“The film Top End Wedding has already delivered a local economic contribution of $1.526 million using 180 local suppliers and vendors, and creating 190 local jobs.

“Tourism NT’s partnership with Channel Nine for the Win a Top End Wedding competition is further leveraging the film’s success while promoting the Territory’s stunning landscapes, diverse tourism offerings and quality experiences.

“The Top End Wedding movie will showcase the Territory to a worldwide audience, and the Win a Top End Wedding competition will promote a range of local businesses and providers to a national audience, including prospective tourists and people planning weddings of their own.”

Quotes from Pee Wee’s at the Point’s Lily Matthews

“It’s fantastic to be involved in the Win a Top End Wedding competition, which will show off the Territory as an ideal romantic holiday destination, and it is perfect timing for local businesses to celebrate the start of the dry season.

“This is a real chance for us to show we are industry leaders, even though we are located all the way up here in the Top End.

“We served Lauren and Steve delicious NT prawns with a green pawpaw salad on a cassava cracker topped with curried Spanish mackerel skin, plus vodka lemon aspen cured mackerel with sandalwood kernels and Territory beef skewers with a peanut satay sauce.

“We certainly gave them a taste of the amazing NT cuisine they’ll experience on the big day, which will no doubt showcase to the nation that the Top End is a culinary hot spot!.”

Media contact: Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture Media Manager 0428 052 647

Note to Editor: Total prize pool includes $55,000 of NT-based travel and wedding services.