A TOTAL of 154 Israeli and Russian couples tied the knot en masse in Larnaca in a civil ceremony yesterday, in an event that may enter the World Guinness Book of Records.
The island is a popular spot for Israelis to wed in civil ceremonies which are not permitted in Israel.
However, the numbers of couples were somewhat lower than the originally planned 170 which would definitely have secured the world record.
Nonetheless, Israeli organisers were hoping that the fact the nuptials took place in a foreign country might be enough to secure the desired milestone.
It remains to be seen if the Guinness book decides to create a new category for mass marriages (with 24 hours) in a foreign country, but at least one couple definitely hopes it does.
“It’s a very interesting project,” said newly-wed 32-year-old Svetlana Safronov from Naria, Israel.
She said that being part of a world record would make her marriage to Stanislav “more special”.
The group, along with Svetlana, arrived by ship from Haifa to Larnaca’s port in the afternoon where girls clad in traditional Cypriot dresses sprinkled guests with rosewater to symbolise the couples’ fresh start to a common life.
Among the parties were an 87-year-old groom and his 93-year-old bride, who were the oldest pair there, while the youngest wife-to-be was just 17.
Busloads of happy couples, family members and popular Israeli entertainers transported the 600-strong group to Larnaca’s mediaeval castle.
A police entourage also sealed off the ‘Palm Tree’ beachside strip to traffic.
The couples then took up their designated positions in the castle square where the wedding ceremony took place in both Russian and English.
Thereafter, loukoumi, the traditional Cypriot wedding sweet, was served, and alcohol flowed freely. Couples were also invited to take part in traditional Cypriot dancing.
A group of newlyweds also had a quick swim before boarding their buses back to the port.
Svetlana – for one – plans to be back: “I visited Cyprus around 2008 and really liked it,” she said.
It was her idea to be part of the mass weddings: “I saw an ad in Israel and thought it was a nice idea,” she said.
Cyprus’ most popular destination for civil weddings is Larnaca which in 2010 hosted more than 700 weddings. Ayia Napa and Paphos brought up the rear sharing 300 odd weddings between them in the same year.
But Larnaca tourism board chief Dinos Lefkaritis is not counting.
Cyprus “will get lots of exposure that… will lead to an increase in tourism”, he said.
Increasingly, more Israelis and Russians have been choosing Cyprus for their holidays.
They will be seeing even more of Cyprus as the wedding “is being covered by Israeli and Russian channels”, Lefkaritis said.
The event was organised jointly by Larnaca municipality and tourism board in cooperation with tour organiser Natan Uretsky. It was broadcast live in Israel.
