Guyana could shortly be joining other Caribbean countries currently engaged in actively promoting the region as a wedding tourism destination if efforts are successful to have amendments made to existing legislation governing marriage licences.
Roraima Airways, the company which for the past four years has been hosting the annual Wedding Expo has been at the forefront of the lobby for changes to existing laws to enable visiting couples to spend shorter periods in Guyana before being granted marriage licences. Stabroek Business has been informed that the current legislation dictates that visiting couples spend a minimum of 15 days here before being granted a marriage licence, whereas elsewhere in the Caribbean where wedding tourism is actively promoted the minimum period is usually between four and six days.
Roraima Airways Food and Beverage Manager Shamaine Davis, who has been at the forefront of planning the company’s annual Wedding Expo said that legislation which allows for a shorter lead time before marriage licences are granted could eventually see Guyana being recognised as a regional destination of choice for wedding tourism.
She disclosed that Roraima’s Chief Executive Officer Captain Gerry Gouveia has been actively lobbying the authorities for changes to existing legislation and that as far as she was aware there had been “some official discussion” on the issue.
“One of the things that our Wedding Expo has done is to place the issue of legislation relating to wedding tourism on the front burner,” Davis said.
Meanwhile, the Roraima team planning this year’s April 5 – 7 Wedding Expo is currently focusing on “working with exhibitors and sponsors while concluding arrangements for the hosting of an actual wedding on April 6 in the presence of visitors to the Wedding Expo,” Davis explained. One of the special features of this year’s Wedding Expo is a competition the prize for which is a “complete wedding” provided by Roraima.
Up to yesterday, the number of entrants had been narrowed to four couples and Davis said the winning couple would be selected on the basis of a combination popular or public vote and a cumulative assessment.
The winning couple will be afforded an expenses paid wedding with Roraima providing its Duke Lodge venue and meals and entertainment for up to 50 guests. Various other private sector entities will contribute to the wedding gift by providing clothing, accessories, rings, cake and other essentials.
The four finalists have already visited Roraima’s Arrow Point Nature Resort and Davis told Stabroek Business that the company would now be offering a trip to the resort to couples who book the Duke Lodge for their weddings.
