Married in the Dominican Republic… Don’t Be Too Sure

Remember that lovely wedding and honeymoon that you had in the Dominican Republic. Remember how the whole thing came off without a hitch. Well.. that’s the problem… if you are one of more than 200 British and Canadian couples it may in fact have come off without a real marriage.

Investigators have uncovered what they suspect is a wedding scam involving more than 200 British and Canadian couples who paid hundreds of dollars for Dominican marriages that were never officially recorded.

Four people have been detained – all employees of the Central Electoral Board that oversees civil marriages, but no charges have been filed. CBC News reports:

In a preliminary report sent to the board last week, the National Department of Investigations said uncertified officiants are suspected of colluding with hotels to swindle foreign couples.

The Tourism Ministry’s website says registration fees of about $455 are required for Dominican weddings, though the fees can be higher if a resort plans the ceremony.

The allegedly fraudulent ceremonies took place from July 2007 to present at resorts in the eastern Dominican Republic, where foreign couples frequently travel for weddings and honeymoons.

Look at it this way, it may have been one of the most elaborate wedding rehearsals ever.