By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
With the state’s same-sex marriage law scheduled to go into effect this Sunday, New York is planning to cash in on what they predict will be a rush to marry by offering gay couples special wedding and honeymoon packages.
USA Today is reporting that ILOVENY.com is hoping to “establish New York as a premier destination location for same sex weddings” by encouraging couples to bring their wedding parties to the state once the law goes into effect on July 24.
A similar program, aimed at bringing same-sex couples to New York City, has been launched by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Called the “NYC I DO” campaign, it is designed to sell the city as a same-sex wedding destination and many of the city’s hotels are already advertising wedding specials.
For instance, Le Parker Meridien is offering a “Love Has No Boundaries/Born This Way” package that includes a ceremony and reception for 100 people for $25,000.
A report issued last month by the state’s Senate Independent Democratic Conference estimated that New York could earn nearly $400 million over the next three years from gay and lesbian couples getting married. They project that 21,309 resident same-sex couples will get married over the next three years and another 45,000 could come to the state from surrounding states or other places for destination weddings.”
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