THE WEDDING GIFT

STUDY: Gay Weddings Could Generate At Least $166M For ME, MD And WA

The Williams Institute at UCLA’s School of Law estimates that recently passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine, Maryland and Washington could generate at least $166 million in wedding expenses over the next three years.

The Institute reported on Monday that nearly 18,000 gay couples may marry within the next three years, with Mainers spending $15.5 million, Marylanders $62.5 million and Washingtonians $88.5 million on their big days.

Those numbers don’t reflect the amount of out-of-state couples that may flock the borders of those three states to drink from the sweet nectar of marriage equality.

After Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, the Williams Institute reported a $111 million increase to its economy over the following four years. Meanwhile, New York, never to be outdone,  benefited from a $269 million boost to its economy the first year after legalizing same-sex marriage.

Did you read that, 32 other states that voted against marriage equality initiatives? You could be swimming in all that gay wedding money. And let’s be real, that $166 mil is a light estimate because all of those open bars and last-minute dove releases do NOT come cheap.

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