Saying "I do" just became easier for couples - British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Tortola, British Virgin Islands, September 13, 2012 – Saying, “I do” just became easier for couples heading to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for their nuptials: Brides and grooms can now get married 24 hours after arriving to the Territory!


On September 3, the BVI Government made significant changes by amending the Marriage Act (Cap 272): Residency requirements for ‘Special Licence’ were shortened from three (3) days to one (1) day, a new fee schedule was introduced, and the steps to obtain a licence were all transferred to the Civil Registry for a
‘One Stop Shop’ process.


Couples even have the choice of beginning their wedding application online before arriving in the BVI, by submitting their information through the Government’snew Civil Registry Information System (CRIS) at www.crisvi.gov.vg.


Prior to the improvements made to the Act, couples were tasked with stopping at three different locations to obtain the necessary documentation for the marriage licence application. Through these new changes, couples can complete the entire process at the Civil Registry where they will provide proof of their identity (passport) and marital status (original certified copies of Decree(s) Absolute for divorced spouses or original Death Certificate(s) of deceased spouse(s); apply for their licence, obtain a marriage certificate and present two witnesses.
The Special Licence fee is $220 and the Ordinary Licence is $120.
Additional fees are applicable based on the bride and groom’s wedding specifications: $220 for the Registrar-General or marriage officer to perform the ceremony, $120 for the ceremony to be held in the Civil Registry building and $2 for a certified copy of the marriage licence.


In the BVI, couples have many options for getting married and locations abound for conducting wedding ceremonies that are representative of the couple’s personality and style. The stunning group of islands and cays offer idyllic backdrops such as beaches, churches, yachts, hotels, villas, resorts, private islands, historic
ruins, national parks, the Civil Registry, and many more to suit their tastes.


There are also many experienced wedding, and event planners available to supply their requests. (For additional information visit the BVI Tourist Board website www.bvitourism.com) To apply in person for a marriage licence or any service surrounding the subject of marriage, please visit the Civil Registry and Passport Office, which is located upstairs of Burhym Electrical Services in Wickham’s Cay, Road Town, Tortola.


The office is opened Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. or telephone (284) 468-3442 for more information.

Big fat Indian weddings travel to exotic locations abroad

MUMBAI: Casino Square is popular among Grand Prix fans for being the best spot in Monaco to drown in the adrenaline-boosting, collective roar ofFormula One racing cars. Horses and elephants are not the kind of four-legged beasts one expects to see on this track. Over here, the word 'horse' is always paired with 'power' to talk about car engines and not about the animal whose female species leads the traditional North Indian baraat.

But on a nippy day in March last year, Casino Square changed gear and the thunder of race cars was replaced by a cacophony of noises that came from a fat, slow-moving Indian baraat. Riding a white mare, the Indian groom, the CEO of a luxury company, led a procession of guests, backed up by two elephants, all making their way to a five-star hotel in Monaco for an even fatter, Rs 44 crore Indian wedding.

Monaco may have not seen anything quite like that, but there are quite a few destinations across the globe where Indian weddings are not a rare sight. In the last three to four years, Indian weddings have not only been exported to unusual venues like Formula One tracks, but also to places conventionally preferred by couples in the West, like beaches, mountains and jungle resorts (in this context, the term, Indian wedding refers to couples who reside in India, but fly abroad with their family and friends to get married). These weddings are multi-crore events and evidently so, it is a niche segment. That is probably the only reason why foreign tourism bodies that are otherwise meticulous in data collection have not yet culled statistics to monitor the growth of the Indian wedding market. But there is enough anecdotal evidence that suggests that the past few years have seen a rise in Indian weddings made in foreign locales.

Last week, tourism officials from Mauritius flew into Mumbai with itineraries that included meetings scheduled with wedding planners. "In the last three years, at least 13 to 14 big Indian weddings with 200-1,200 guests have been held in Mauritius,'' said Micheal Yeung Sik Yuen, Mauritius's tourism minister. Though there are flights between India and Mauritius, Air Mauritius operated about five charter aircraft during these years to ferry the wedding guests. Though Mauritius does not attract as many Indian tourists, it has turned into a favourite wedding destination for the desis. So much so that last year, a special committee was formed by Mauritius to exclusively handle the wedding segment.

Another favourite wedding destination is South Africa, which has made its appearance on quite a few invite cards.

Hanneli Slabber, country manager, SA Tourism, India, said, "We probably receive 10-15 Indian inquiries per year. However, not all these are from Indians living in India, but from Indian couples living around the world. They include multi-cultural weddings where one of the couple is Indian."

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