PR Value of Jennifer Lawrence's Newport Wedding? "Millions," Says Top RI Tourism Executive

PR Value of Jennifer Lawrence's Newport Wedding? "Millions," Says Top RI Tourism Executive

For days, Jennifer Lawrence's Newport wedding was the biggest story not just on celebrity websites -- it was featured prominently by at least a dozen of the top fifteen news websites nationally and globally. 

Coverage of Carolyn Rafaelian's recently renovated Belcourt of Newport was front and center in the media frenzy of the biggest celebrity event of the season. 

The public relations value to Newport, of having the world follow the star-studded wedding of an A-list actress, who could have gotten married absolutely anywhere? 

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"Honestly, it's worth millions. But in actuality, it's priceless," Evan Smith, President and CEO of Discover Newport, told GoLocalProv.com in an interview on Monday. 

Alex and Ani CEO Rafaelian called the global amount of attention "simply amazing."

"I'm thrilled," she told GoLocal. "Newport has never looked and had a better vibe since its early days. It is exactly what Newport deserves."

PR Money Can't Buy

"Coverage like this is more impactful than advertising, which has the built-in scrutiny that someone's trying to sell you something," said Smith. "The non-commercial element of this -- that's what's priceless."

"The type of association by destination, you can't buy that," said Smith, of Lawrence and other stars descending on Newport. 

This weekend's wedding between Academy Award-winning actress Lawrence and Cooke Maroney was the most high profile Newport wedding since 1953 when Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy wed.

READ: Five Things to Know About Jennifer Lawrence’s Newport Wedding

Newport Front and Center

Smith echoed Rafaelian's sentiments that this is a new "golden era" for Newport. 

"What's really exciting to me, is that back in the 1890s, Newport was really at the center of the world -- the Vanderbilts, the Astors. That was really the case through the 1920s," said Smith. "Not that Newport ever 'left,' but I feel that we're coming back to that international grandeur. There's this energy, this karma in the air right now. People want to be here."

"You've got Taylor Swift -- who's Westerly, but she's chosen Rhode Island -- and now with Jay Leno and a whole host of celebrities in Newport, you get the feeling this is where people want to be," said Smith. 

"One of the by-products I'm hoping for is that more high-profile people buy real estate. For many, it's their third or fourth home. We see that a lot on the Vineyard of course, and I'm a fan of the Vineyard, but I feel Aquidneck Island has more to offer, more resources," said Smith.

Smith pointed out that even as an October wedding, it is still "high" season in Newport.

"The season really runs all the way through mid-November now," said Smith. 

Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0/Jennifer Lawrence at the 83rd Academy Awards jpg: Mingle MediaTV derivative work: Tabercil (talk) 

This story was first published 10/21/19 1:25 PM