An Okanagan wedding planner is looking to offer one lucky couple an all-expenses-paid New Year鈥檚 weekend wedding at Historic O鈥橩eefe Ranch.

The only catch to the shotgun wedding extravaganza is that the couple getting married must do so in front of a live audience.

Dee Cristante, wedding specialist of Okanagan Hospitality, has partnered with the ranch to put on the shotgun wedding, which she鈥檚 successfully done twice in the past at other Vernon locations.

Helping a couple walk down the aisle without the financial or event planning stress is a 鈥減retty exciting鈥� prospect, she told The Morning Star.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been quite some time since they鈥檝e had any sort of New Year鈥檚 celebration at the ranch, so we decided that we would incorporate doing something special for a local couple, and sell tickets to the public to come and be part of a ceremony celebration at the ranch and party,鈥� Cristante said.

The wedding will be held Saturday, Dec. 30, with the shotgun ceremony starting at 7:30 p.m., a toast to the bride and groom immediately following the ceremony with complimentary bubbles for all guests, then a cake cutting with ticket holders getting a slice. The party will start at 9 p.m. with music by a DJ, followed by a serving of Italian wedding pizza at 10:30 p.m. There will be a bouquet toss at 11:45 p.m. and then a pre-New Year鈥檚 Eve countdown will take place at 11:55 p.m., giving guests a countdown warm-up one night before New Year鈥檚 Eve.

鈥淲e want to fill the room, we want to make sure everyone has a good time and we want it to be successful so we can do it again next year,鈥� Cristante said.

Cristante says the event will be a great chance for people to dress spiffy.

鈥淣o one dresses up anymore, so this is New Years and a wedding, there鈥檚 no excuse not to put on your Sunday best,鈥� she laughed.

To enter for consideration to be selected as the couple that will be married at the event, couples are asked to email their 鈥渉eartfelt鈥� love story to Cristante at weddings@okeeferanch.ca. Couples should include all of their contact information and a favourite photo of themselves.

The contest will take place throughout the month of November and the winners will be announced Dec. 1 through social media and the O鈥橩eefe Ranch . Tickets to attend the wedding will also go on sale Dec. 1.

Cristante says the Okanagan wedding industry has been struggling lately, with very few couples getting married this year. She said weddings were cancelled across the board when the pandemic broke out, and the first year after weddings were allowed again was very busy, but only because couples were catching up on their weddings that had been cancelled.

鈥淭his year from my market research, and I鈥檓 not alone, it鈥檚 been quite a soft year this year for weddings,鈥� she said, adding the wildfires and smoke from August didn鈥檛 help.

She hopes the shotgun wedding event at O鈥橩eefe can inject some excitement into the local wedding industry.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still here, we鈥檙e still amazing, we鈥檙e still doing great things; come back and visit us again. Revisit us under destination weddings again.鈥�

Cristante says this wedding opportunity is ideal for a couple who may not have the financial means to plan their dream wedding with all their family in attendance, and she鈥檚 looking forward to reading couples鈥� love stories and picking the winner.

Only local couples from the North Okanagan will be considered.

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