A town-hall wedding might satisfy Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, but Hong Kong couples who fancy tying the knot somewhere less common might have their prayers answered by the middle of the year.
Discussions about changing the law to make it easier to marry outside places of worship or wedding registries have been going on within the Immigration Department and Security Bureau for years, but now a time frame has been given by the government.
'Subject to consultations, we hope to be able to introduce the amendment bill into the Legislative Council within the current legislative session,' said a Security Bureau spokesman. The Legco session ends in July.
Changing the Marriage Ordinance has also been listed by the Immigration Department as one of its tasks for the year. The Security Bureau said that under the new law, 'suitable persons', such as solicitors, would be allowed to conduct weddings outside conventional venues.
This would pave the way for weddings at exotic locations such as the Disney theme park, scheduled to open in September. Disney spokeswoman Esther Wong Wing-han said couples would be welcome to throw wedding parties at the theme park, even if the legislative amendment was not passed.
'If our guests wanted to have a wedding party at the park they could, but what kind of packages will be on offer and what elements will be included have yet to be decided,' she said. 'We'll study the experience of the other Disney theme parks in the world when planning.'