| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 05/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 44 |
| Copyright: Other |
Weddings by Rachael Oakden
Operators make vow to go up the aisle in style
Wedding market sees increase in demand
Love is a lucrative business in the South Pacific. Wedding packages are one of the fastest-growing area of UK business in the region.Kuoni Travel has seen weddings in Fiji increase by 50% so far this year compared with last year, and in the Cook Islands by 25%. Exact figures are not available. As a result the operator is doubling South Pacific coverage in its 2001 weddings brochure due out on June 16, adding the Sheraton Royal Denarau and Castaway Island resorts in Fiji as well as an on-board ceremony on the Captain Cook cruise ship Reef Escape.
Kuoni’s weddings department manager Phil Boswell said the region has replaced the Caribbean and Indian Ocean as a once-in-a-lifetime romantic destination.
“People have exhausted the excitement of marrying in the Caribbean. It’s become like a production line there. The South Pacific is still remote, quiet and peaceful and they’re unlikely to be doing more than two weddings a week at any of the resorts,” he said.
Kuoni offers a decorated location, 10 photographs with album and wedding cake at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort for £362. Tradewinds added four Fijian resorts to its weddings brochure for 2000/2001 – the Shangri-La Fijian Resort, Castaway Island, Yasawa Island and Treasure Island.
Senior marketing executive Louise Dixon said:”It’s definitely a growth area. Even in the South Pacific, prices are still competitive compared with weddings in this country.”
Tradewinds’ prices lead in at £349 for a basic ceremony for a couple only at the Cook Islands’ Rarotongan Beach Resort, including wine, cake, decorated location, flame torches for sunset ceremonies and free room upgrades if available.
The variety of exotic extras available are limited only by the clients’ budget and imagination. They range from simple flower garlands to children’s choirs and dancing girls to a bridal escort in a war canoe. “You can have as much or as little as you want,” said Liz Mortimer, sales director of South Pacific specialists Transpacific, which can tailor-make weddings to clients’ preferences.
Transpacific can arrange weddings in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati and Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu – but not French Polynesia.
A 30-day period of prior residence is required for a legal wedding in this popular honeymoon destination, which puts it out of most couples’ budgets.
However, Kuoni has responded to demand for French Polynesian ceremonies by introducing traditional blessings at three Beachcomber resorts on Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahiti. They will have no legal status but are aimed at newlyweds who have married elsewhere and at couples who want to renew their vows.
Options:couples have a wide range of wedding packages to choose from
factfile
getting married in the south pacific
The following conditions apply to all South Pacific destinations except French Polynesia:
n Clients must be over 21.
n They must take the following original documents with them: birth certificates; valid 10-year passports; affidavits confirming single status; decree absolute (if divorced); death certificate of former spouse and previous marriage certificate (if widowed); legal proof if names have been changed by deed poll. Tour operators may require copies up to six weeks in advance. All documents must be in English. If they are in any other language they must be translated and notarised by an officially recognised translator.
n Couples must spend three working days at the destination before the ceremony and allow at least a day to complete administrative formalities. Most operators stipulate a minimum stay of six nights in case of unforeseen circumstances.
n Marriages are legal in Britain but cannot be registered here. The wedding may be recorded as an overseas marriage.
n Non-British citizens must check with tour operators to make sure that they can marry.
n Operators recommend asking for several copies of the marriage certificate and having a notarised copy made on return to the UK. Marriage certificates will be sent to clients in their home country up to six months after the ceremony.
Formality: legal documents are required