By Earnestine Moxyz ,From Bahamas Tourism Office, Florida

PLANTATION, Florida – After four months of promotions and submissions from more than three thousand couples from throughout the United States of America, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (BMOT) announced today that 16 lucky couples have been selected to have their dream wedding, on sixteen of its 700-islands chain, all of which will occur at 16:00 hours on January 16, 2015.

The unique, social media promotion aptly named “16 Weddings, 16 Islands, One Priceless Day,” commenced on February 14, 2014 and ended on June 31st, 2014. The promotion was opened to residents of the United States of America only and showcased The Islands Of The Bahamas as the premier destination in the region for romance – weddings, honeymoons, vow renewals and romantic escapes. In addition to this, the promotion also highlighted the diversity, beauty, charm and distinct characters, flavors and cultures of each of the 16 Bahama Islands and simultaneously provided an opportunity for 16 newly engaged couples to have a complementary dream wedding.

The priceless wedding experiences are expected to take place on Acklins, Crooked Island, Abaco, Andros, The Berry Island, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Harbour Island, Grand Bahama, Inagua, Long Island, Nassau, Paradise Island and San Salvador, Bahamas.

Each lucky couple will receive complementary round trip airline tickets from their respective towns to The Bahamas, hotel accommodations including meals for 4 nights and a wedding ceremony, cake, flowers and reception for up to four guests. Wedding rings, a bridal gown, tuxedo and personal wedding coordinator will also be given to each couple.

The 16 lucky couples were selected by a panel of travel and romance experts, based on interviews conducted and the total number of votes each couple received from their Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook accounts of their shared story of romance and reason for wanting to get married in The Bahamas.

Winners include:

1. From Houston, LaShaundra Coleman and Roderick Dowel who will wed in Acklins;

2. Rachelle Powell and George Stover from Washington, D.C. to wed in Crooked Island;

3. Wanjira Banfield and Pierre Alex Demosthene from Florida to be wed in Abaco;

4. Patrice Prescott and Jose Macias from Florida will wed in Andros;

5. Krystina Barbella and Ryan Saja from New Jersey who will wed in The Berry Islands;

6. Crystina Gaston and Rudy Lechshorn from Miami to wed in Bimini;

7. Darius Smith and Ariana Viega-Barbosa of Indiana will wed on Cat Island;

8. Breauna Brown and Anthony Harley from South Carolina will wed in Eleuthera;

9. Deana Whitlow and Henry Coleman from Texas will wed in Harbour Island;

10. Lauren Gough and Steve Swangstu from Texas will wed in the Exumas;

11. Shametria Almond and Victor Courtney from Ohio will wed in Grand Bahama;

12. Sheri Smith and Roth Johnson from California will wed in Inagua;

13. Najean Lucky and Benjamin Meza-Wilson from Michigan will marry on Long Island;

14. Aurelia Balint and Phillip Gomez from Pennsylvania will marry in Nassau;

15. Katherina Smith and Ezequiel Medina from Texas will wed on Paradise Island and

16. Shannon Morgan and Alex Jester from California will get married in San Salvador.

In addition to the BMOT, other partners for the promotion included: MasterCard®, 1888mytuxes.com, Mon Cheri, Green Turtle Cay Club, Acklins Island Lodge, Tiamo Resort, Carriearl Boutique Hotel, Resort World Bimini, Pigeon Cay Club, Tranquility On The Bay, Pineapple Fields, Valentine’s Resort, Sandals Emerald Bay, Inagua Ocean Villas, Gems of Paradise, Riding Rock, Grand Lucayan Resort, British Colonial Hilton Hotel and Atlantis Resort.

About The Islands Of The Bahamas

The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world’s best scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It’s Better in The Bahamas.