Happy anniversary to all couples who were married in the Dominican Republic: your nuptials are legal. So promises the country's
Canadian consulate, after a
story surfaced on Tuesday outlining a scam at one of the more popular resorts in the country.
Couples that got hitched at a
Punta Cana-area hotel discovered to their horror that a fake judge performed many of the ceremonies and no documents were ever filed certifying the marriages. The scheme is believed to have bilked more than 200 Canadian and British tourists, leaving their marital status in limbo.
But now officials with the Dominican Republic are vowing all the irregularities will be fixed and that everyone affected will receive their papers proving the vows they took in the country are valid. They're trying to set the record straight with the local Central Electoral Board, which oversees civil weddings in the country.
They claim that since the proceedings were done in good faith, a real jurist will go over them and that every couple will get their documents over the next three months.
Amanda Kusick (seen with her betrothed, Ryan Greene, top left) is one of those unsure of her status. The Mississauga woman got hitched in the Dominican last October in a tropical dream wedding that quickly turned into a nightmare. After four months, she still doesn't have her wedding certificate and believes she may be one of those Canadians who was taken by the crooks.
"Was it all just a fake?" she asks. "I dressed up as a bride, he dressed up as a groom. We exchanged vows and really it's not official and it's not registered anywhere."
Dominican weddings are a major come-on for tourists in the country and officials don't want to lose that business. An Embassy spokesperson points out there are more than 7,000 such ceremonies performed there every year and there have only been a handful of problems.
But that hasn't stopped their phones from ringing off the hook from married couples who fear their weddings weren't the real thing. They're urging Canadians not to worry and note those who have their documentation are fine. For those who don't, they're taking their own wedding vows and promise, for better or for worse, it will be coming soon.