Free venues in Malé to be provided for first-time wedding ceremonies

The Malé City Council has decided to facilitate arrangements for couples to host their wedding receptions free of charge.

The Malé City Council held discussions during its 8th official general meeting of the 5th session on Wednesday regarding the establishment of arrangements to host first-marriage wedding receptions free of charge.

Speaking at the meeting, Ibrahim Labaan Shareef, the Councilor for the South Maafannu constituency, expressed his desire for a formal policy to be established as soon as possible to ensure that these opportunities are made available to the youth.

Echoing Labaan’s sentiments, Ahmed Ghalib, the Councilor for the Hulhumalé South constituency, stated that the entire council remains committed to supporting initiatives for the youth. He emphasized that the primary objective of this opportunity is to provide financial relief to young couples getting married.

Mayor Adam Azim has referred the matter to the Financial Budget Committee for further review, mandating a joint consultation with the Social Service, Gender, and Community Affairs Committee to reach a final decision.

Furthermore, it has been decided to schedule this matter for the council's next meeting to reach a final decision. The council expressed hope that once these arrangements are finalized, it will provide significant relief to the youth residing in Malé.

While the decision has been made to provide free venues in Malé for first-time wedding ceremonies, the high cost of hosting such events has long been a major grievance among the youth. Despite numerous weddings taking place in the capital every month, the substantial upfront costs force some couples to resort to taking out loans just to fund their celebrations.

However, the City Council's decision represents a significant financial reprieve for young couples embarking on their new lives together.