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Guernsey's marriage laws would need relaxing much more than is being suggested if the island were to benefit from wedding tourism.
A wedding organiser said while she welcomes the changes being proposed following a public consultation, the length of time a person must have residency in the island may hinder any hopes some businesses may have about capitalising on visitors coming here to get married.
361 people answered the consultation, which closed in July, meaning their opinions will now help the States form policies which will dictate where and how future couples can get married.
One of the key aims of the planned reform of marriage law is to "simplify the procedures and formalities of how and where people can get married" and the Policy and Resources Committee said they "have been largely supported by those responding to a public consultation."
Broadly, the consultation proved there is public support for overhauling marriage laws meaning couples could use Guernsey's natural beauty as a back drop for their big day by tying the knot on a beach or another outdoor space. Reforming marriage laws could also mean couples could opt for a civi wedding ceremony on a Saturday - something which has not always been allowed in the past.
Some concerns were raised about detracting from the importance of marriage with one person concerned about the planned reforms being used as an opportunity to attack the church, another noted the importance of not losing sight of the solemnity of marriage, while one person also had concerns over allowing marriage celebrations to take place in public places.
Pictured: Most comments in the public consultation on reforming marriage laws were positive
P&R said it wants to reform the "outdated 1919, Marriage Law" with proposals "to simplify the procedures and formalities of how to marry, ensure that the changes are inclusive and reflective of the needs of a modern society, while maintaining sufficient safeguards to protect against, illegal, sham and forced marriages."
This work has already been prioritised by the States Assembly as part of the Policy & Resource Plan and further debates will now be scheduled to discuss the results of the public consultation and what changes will be made.
The proposals outlined in the consultation which are likely to be put to the States for approval include:
Deputy Jane Stephens, who leads on social matters for P&R said reforming Guernsey's marriage laws would make a big difference in many peoples' lives.
"We are pleased that the proposals presented to simplify, make more inclusive and modernise the marriage procedures and formalities are reflective of the majority of the public views received. We understand that the issue of how and where people get married is important to the community. We will now finalise the proposals and present these in a policy letter to the States before the end of the year."
Pictured: Lorraine Lane AKA The Wedding Fairy
Qualified wedding planner, Lorraine Lane, has been responsible for helping many couples achieve their perfect big day over the years.
She supported the public consultation on marriage law reform and is generally pleased with the results so far.
"Overall this looks to be exactly the way we were hoping for it to go with more freedom regarding who can marry you and where you can be married," she said.
Ms Lane is disappointed there have been no moves to shorten the length of residency required in Guernsey before someone can get married though. With wedding tourism big business elsewhere, she thinks Guernsey could also capitalise on that if it were easier for couples from elsewhere to marry here.
"I cannot see that there has been any decrease in the days required for a person to establish residency, this may be encompassed in the part marked for a change in intent to marry being made online however clarification of that would be really good. The time to establish residency is currently far too long to encourage people using Guernsey as a wedding destination," said Ms Lane.
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