Tourism Vancouver is pleased to announce the marriage of Greg Auseth to John Gabriel. The two were wed on September 22, 2006 in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. They were joined by close family and friends for a ceremony by the rose garden in Queen Elizabeth Park.

The grooms, both from Minneapolis, Minnesota, won a complete wedding package in Vancouver after entering a contest, held from May 1 to June 30 this year.

"In this job, I've had the pleasure of contacting past sweepstakes winners before, but none have been as fun as this time around," said Candice Gibson, Tourism Vancouver's manager of Consumer Marketing. "After initial disbelief, hesitation and skepticism came a great deal of laughter."

The sweepstakes were open to residents of the United States and designed to boost awareness of Vancouver as a hotspot for gay travel, weddings, romance and adventure of all kinds. The contest was entered by over 400 couples who were excited to take their vows in Vancouver. The prize included a stylish wedding organized by a Vancouver-based personal wedding consultant with complimentary flights to Vancouver and accommodation for the grooms plus eight guests. Venue, catering, flowers, music, limo transportation, marriage commissioner, license fees, photographer and a honeymoon cruise to Alaska were also included. Total value of the prize was approximately $50,000 CAD.

A legendary live-and-let-love city, Vancouver is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the wild Pacific Ocean and majestic rainforests. Vancouver has a proud history of welcoming travellers from all walks of life to its exciting and diverse surroundings. In particular, Vancouver's vibrant West End and colourful Commercial Drive gay and lesbian districts have been playing host to locals and visitors for decades.

Vancouver is an ideal romantic, wedding and honeymoon destination with many TAG-approved accommodations to suit every budget. The city's Gay Pride Week draws thousands of visitors each year and British Columbia's progressive same-sex marriage laws have celebrated gay and lesbian weddings since 2003. Couples getting married don't even need to be residents of Canada; a marriage license and a civil ceremony are the only requirements to become legally married in Vancouver.

For more information on Davie Village, Commercial Drive and beyond, visit www.tourismvancouver.com/gay. For images of Vancouver and the wedding, please contact us at the address below.

Tourism Vancouver's focus is on building exceptional customer relationships with meeting planners, travel influencers, travel media and independent tourists. The organization's brand essence is about "exceeding expectations".



            A Tourism Vancouver press release