Number Of Russian Weddings Increases Dramatically

Since 2000, the number of weddings in Russia has increased by 15 percent. Unfortunately, the number of registry offices has increased by 0 percent, leading some registry offices to report that they’re conducting as many as 60 weddings per day. Help for the strained system may be on the way in the form of a new “wedding palace” being planned for Moscow.

The new planned registry office will handle only weddings - the standard office also handles birth and death registries. Housed in a planned 48-story twisted tower, the 2,000-sq meter office will have scenic views of both the city and the Moscow River. According to the architect, the new office will be able to accommodate 100 weddings per day. Additionally, the city plans to re-convert an 18th century palace currently in use as a hospital, back to its original state, opening it to the public for wedding ceremonies.

Couples who opt for a registry office wedding typically wait in line for several hours to get a time slot. The weddings themselves are typically nothing more than paper-signing, after which the newly married couple is rushed out of the office to make room for the next ceremony. The government would like to change that by placing registry offices in more festive locations. In addition to the two offices - expected to be in operation by 2010 - the government also plans to open an additional 11 offices by 2025.

Foreigners, however, will not be able to take advantage of the new spaces. Russian law dictates that all non-Russians who wish to marry must do so at Wedding Palace #4, and there are no plans to change that.

Keywords: Wedding News, Weddingblog, Wedding

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