We have two contrasting stories in iNews Cayman today.

One story, by Worldbride, blazes the headline “Choosing your wedding paradise- 10 reasons to think of the Cayman Islands”. We are proud to republish the story.

Our second story is not so good and we are not proud at all to publish this one. The story is found under iNews Briefs with the headline “Wedding Day was nearly a day of woe in Cayman”.

It is the second story that has completely wiped out all the good the first one tried to do.

And the incident should not have happened.

Apparently, even for a wedding and you bring in a wedding bridal dress, even a hired one, it has to be declared up front.

A member of the bridal party that included various guests from abroad that all contribute to Cayman Islands needy coffers, was told because she hadn’t declared the dress it would be confiscated, unless a duty of $500 was paid!

Can you believe this? A bridal wedding dress is confiscated by our Customs Department! Yes, A WEDDING BRIDAL GOWN!!! And a demand for $500!

Then another customs officer insulted the bride’s mother because she didn’t declare the underwear she was wearing. I am surprised they didn’t try to rip those off her!

The whole unfortunate incident was played out on Cayman’s television news Wednesday night (April 30) and thankfully there was a happy ending. The bride got her bridal gown back in time for the wedding after the $500 tally was reduced to $60.

Then up comes Collector of Customs Samantha Bennett to add more salt into the incident.

Instead of apologizing for what had happened and perhaps offering the bride a small token from the Cayman Islands [the return of the $60) she comes up with this insane statement:

“Had the passenger properly declared the item up front, I’m sure this incident would not have been blown out of proportion.”

I am sure, M/s Bennett, if you had taken the time to think you might possibly have realised these words were only going to inflame even more an incident that should never have happened in the first place.

It was obviously dealt with in a very high handed and unprofessional manner and I expected better.

The damage you and your department have done to our image is sure to have cost us thousands of dollars.

Your statement has been echoed all over the Internet but unfortunately I am betting you don’t care a fig!

Is it total ignorance or stupidity from your department that allowed this all to happen and will it occur again?

It was A WEDDING BRIDAL GOWN?

Everybody loves a bride but not the Cayman Islands Customs Department. We will do everything we can to make the whole day as miserable as we can.

Disgraceful!