Melissa Essex never really believed she was going to become the national winner for the Bacardi Mixers contest.

With 100,000 entries submitted to the contest over the summer, she expected little. In fact most of the winners from the contest drawing received themed Bacardi party kits to help winners plan parties of their own.

Essex, however, won the contest top prize that included a party planned by one of the most sought after party planners in the work, someone that had planned parties for groups as diverse as The Rolling Stones to the White House.

So when the email came saying she had won a party for herself and 20 of her friends, Essex didn't quite believe it.

"I didn't know if it was real or not," she said, recalling that she had entered the Bacardi Mixers contest on line.

Essex, 25, is a graduate of New Jersey City University and currently pursuing a career as a teacher.

Normally, she and her friends hang out locally in Bayonne at such places as OJ's Tavern on lower Broadway or Kapp's Tavern midtown. But as the contest winner, she had her friends had won a Labor Day Luau -- valued at $25,000 - held at the Hoboken Shipyard Marina, 13th Street Pier on the Hudson River.

But this party was to be planned by David Tutera, considered one of the top event planners in the world, who has been involved in projects such as the wedding of Star Jones - who is among other things a co-host of The View, the fragrance launch for pop singing start Jennifer Lopez, Grammy parties for Elton John and The Rolling Stones, soirees for the While House as well as a host of many how business and charity function.

A public figure himself, Tutera is a Contributing Entertainment Expert on ABC-TV's The View, TBS's Movie and A Makeover and the host of his own program on Discovery Channel's "Party Planning with David Tutera." He is also the author of several books, his most recent tome on successful events, called "The Party Planner," was released in April.

"He was really nice," said Essex, who said he hung around for more than two hours of the four-hour party.

The Luau theme covered food, décor, music and drinks of the party for colorful visual interest-that included a bongo band. Even the bus driver was wearing an Hawaiian shirt. Essex said that she and her friends were transported from Bayonne by bus for the four hour event.

"There was a tent and everything fit the theme," she said, this included table decorations and real grass skirts for costumes of the staff

"My friends loved it," she said. "The drinks were great."

Essex said she had gone to clubs in Hoboken prior to this, but had not been to The Shipyard previously, calling the setting "beautiful."

A graduate of Robinson elementary and Bayonne High School, Essex said she hopes to have her master's degree in Special Education by August 2006.

Contact Al Sullivan at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com