Youth tour operator Syte is to offer a range of LGBTQ+ wedding packages to fill a gap in the market.
Initially wedding packages will be offered at a range of four chapels in Las Vegas and can be tailormade to meet couples’ needs, such as an add-on honeymoon trip.
Director Arron Mitchell said the decision to offer wedding packages under the Syte brand followed his recent marriage in Las Vegas to co-director Matt Chamberlain, and the difficulty of finding a country that will accept and allow LGBTQ+ wedding ceremonies.
He said: “The new wedding range is something we have been thinking about for a while. We definitely recognise there is a gap in the market.
“We struggled to find somewhere ourselves where we could get married easily. There were very few countries we could get married in but Vegas was super-easy to organise.”
He added: “Now we have been through the process we know what’s involved and by doing that we can talk to customers and wrap it all up as a package and offer a tailored itinerary.”
Wedding packages range from a basic “sign and go” ceremony and pictures to a fully hosted garden weddings for larger groups of up to 300 people. Syte has teamed up with The White Chapel, Elvis Presley Chapel, Garden Chapel and the Little Neon Chapel in Las Vegas to offer the weddings.
As other countries offer opportunities for LGBTQ+ weddings, other packages will be offered, said Mitchell. “We are focusing on Vegas at the moment but when there is less red tape and it gets easier we can start to introduce other destinations,” he said.