Wedding industry takes big financial hit from COVID-19
Engaged couples are forced to postpone their weddings due to social distancing measures.
Brides and grooms in Colorado could potentially have a portion of their wedding comped with a new state government program.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has launched the Meeting and Events Incentive, a 10% cash rebate program that can award between $3,500 to $100,000 to residents who plan or host an eligible "event or meeting."
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Weddings just so happen to be included in the OEDIT’s list of eligible events alongside business meetings, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, trade shows, concerts and other gatherings.
Couples who wish to apply to the program will need to have their wedding hosted anytime between July 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2022.
Additional eligibility requirements include having a total wedding bill of $35,000 or more, generating at least 25 paid overnight room nights at a hotel and be contacted on or after April 6, 2021. Alternatively, weddings that are at risk of "cancellation, postponement, or relocation outside of Colorado without support" are eligible, according to the OEDIT’s website.
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Brides and grooms in Colorado could potentially have a portion of their wedding comped with the Meeting and Events Incentive program, an initiative introduced by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. (iStock)
Applicants will need to submit their paperwork to the OEDIT’s grant portal at least 45 days ahead of their wedding date. Meanwhile, couples who were married between July 1 and Sept. 15 this year are being offered a grace period that allows them to submit applications 21 days after their wedding date.
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Documentation of the applying couple’s hard costs, budget, special event permit (if applicable) and request for proposal must be submitted with each application.
The OEDIT says it is processing applications on a "first-come, first-served basis" and incentive funding allocation amounts will vary by county – ranging between 1.14% and 16.29% throughout the state.
Recipients of the incentive program will not be allowed to combine their funding with another state-operated grant.
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The Meeting and Events Incentive program is under the OEDIT’s Colorado Tourism Office division. It is operating in partnership with Metropolitan State University, a public university in Denver.
"Colorado is committed to providing the economic tools to build back stronger," a spokesperson from the Colorado Tourism Office wrote to Fox News. "Our trailblazing Meeting & Events incentive provides a 10 percent rebate of eligible costs associated with bringing a qualifying convention, conference, meeting, training event or a destination wedding to Colorado. These events provide economic benefits to host hotels, venues or event centers and the surrounding small businesses, restaurants, and Colorado communities."
