Same-sex marriage business is booming

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Same sex marriage has been legal in Florida for just over five months, which means more marriages and more business for the wedding planning industry.

According to financial data from Nerd Wallet, same-sex weddings could become a $2.5 billion industry if legalized nationwide

One local wedding planner has been in the business for almost 20 years. Although she's been doing same sex marriages since she began her career, Heather Canada from First Coast Weddings and Events says in recent years, not only has she seen more same sex couples planning a wedding, but she says they're more comfortable as well. "We've definitely seen an increase in the number of inquiries over the past year or so and we definitely love to see that trend continuing," said Canada.

Not only is she the owner of First Coast Weddings and Events, she also is the venue coordinator for Bowing Oaks Plantation on the Southside. She says since sex marriage became legal here in Florida -- many couples are more willing and excited to plan a wedding.

"It's definitely making a huge impact especially, financially. I think here in Florida we're just starting to see it since weddings are planned 9 to 12 months out so we're just getting us some of those weddings that were the first ones but so I think I will definitely continue to increase," said Canada.

Same sex ceremonies were once very rare but are now becoming more expected and important for businesses. You may remember back in January, about 60 same-sex couples gathered in Hemming Park to tie the knot on the first Saturday after the state's ban was struck down. Canada says Florida couples are now feeling more confident and want a more intimate ceremony.

"I would say our couples are definitely more open and not as afraid about planning a wedding as they used to be. It used to be a hush tone and now they're more willing to say it's a wedding," said Canada.

According to TheKnot.com, the country's biggest wedding website, last year although same-sex couples on average held smaller ceremonies, they still spent about as much money as opposite-sex couples- about $200 per guest.

Recommended Videos



Same-sex couples were also more likely to spend more money on their honeymoon or pay for their wedding themselves.

Kisha Briscoe and Javon Jones got married last November in North Carolina. They say if they knew it would have been legal in Florida two months later, they would have waited. But they're excited to currently be planning a wedding - bringing more business to the Jacksonville wedding planning industry.

"I don't feel there's any difference between if you're same sex or opposite sex. it should be the same all the way around everyone loves the same and there's no difference regardless of sex color if you're short, tall, love is the same it comes from your heart," said Briscoe and Jones.

News4Jax spoke to local attorney, Rusty Mead who also was the officiator of the mass wedding at Hemming Plaza. She says there was a 30-40% increase in the number of marriage licenses being issued at the Duval County Courthouse at the beginning of the year. She says that number has begun to trickle down but says she typically only does one same sex marriage per year, and has already done a dozen so far outside of the Hemming Plaza wedding.

Same sex marriage is currently legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia. 13 states have bans on same sex marriage. This month, the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision that could legalize same-sex marriages nationwide.