Gay Weddings are Good for Business

The first day gay marriage was legal in the District of Columbia, at least 37 same-sex couples applying for marriage licenses were from the State of Maryland.  And that was just the first day.

Since Maryland now recognizes gay marriages performed in other states, same-sex couples from Maryland will naturally go to D.C. first and foremost for their gay wedding plans and spend their gay wedding dollars in the District rather than over the border in Maryland.  The Wedding Report indicates that the average cost of a wedding in D.C. is twice the national average, at around $42,000.

Virginia, to D.C.'s south, doesn't recognize these same-sex marriages at all, so is truly missing a big financial windfall - but at the same time, their residents are less likely to marry in DC because their marriages won't be recognized when they return.

Maryland's new policy is great news for its gay and lesbian residents but the state's economy is missing a lucrative opportunity.

Have you seen same-sex couples from Maryland prepare for big weddings in DC now that gay marriage is recognized?