A Year After Legalisation Of Same-Sex Weddings, Wedding Businesses Are Booming
The legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia was good for the LGBTQ community, but it was also good news for the wedding industry in the country. From many a Sydney wedding catering company to wedding photographers, businesses that work on weddings have been feeling the love since the law passed.
Independent MP Alex Greenwich, who championed the campaign for marriage equality for around a decade, said that the legalisation of same-sex marriage was love taking triumph, in spite of the obstacles it faced. He says that, in the 12 months following legalisation in December of 2017, about 6,000 same sex couples have gotten married across the AU, which is wonderful for them.
He adds that wedding businesses, like those that handle Sydney wedding catering, have also been winners, explaining that the average cost of an Aussie wedding sits at about $20,000. This, he says, means that these same-sex marriages contribute a lot to the wedding industry of the country, particularly to small businesses.
One small business owner that agrees with this assessment is photographer Frank Farrugia, who’s been receiving so many bookings, that he’s been forced to hire people just to keep up with demand.
He says that he’s been contacted by people living abroad, in countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, who travel to Sydney, hire Sydney wedding catering, his company and others for their wedding, and celebrate their union. According to Farrugia, he has so many bookings that he’s filled for 2019, and parts of 2020.
Meanwhile, Bespoke Catering, owned by Chelsea Abraham, also saw a spike in revenue, with the owner saying that the business grew so much that she was forced to expand and collaborate with others in order to keep up with the upsurge in customers.
She’s still the head chef of her business, but a colleague, Fabio Funai, has taken an ownership stake in the business, and now operates the front end of the business, as well as any growth endeavours.
Marriage celebrant Melissa Soncini, however, noted that there was still some ways to go before Aussies completely accept same-sex marriages.
She says that she’s had to do private weddings because the couples were afraid of being looked at and judged by the public, which she feels is a shame. Soncini says that there’s still a stigma against two men or women kissing in public, which shouldn’t be the case. She says that marriage is marriage, and two people in a committed, healthy relationship should be able to celebrate that with family and friends without fear.
