27 June,2011 08:56 AM IST | | Agencies
Moments after state Senate cast a dramatic vote in favour of same-sex marriages, gay couples rush to get hitched
Gay New York couples were whipped into a wedding-planning frenzy yesterday, shopping for engagement rings, ordering cakes and booking event halls in a mad rush to marry their partners just hours after it became legal.
The scramble to the altar came amid a wild weekend of celebration that hits a climax with yesterday's annual Gay Pride Parade, which is expected to draw record crowds for the march down Fifth Avenue from Midtown to Christopher Street.
Revellers celebrate in front of the historic gay bar The Stonewall after the passing of a bill legalising gay marriage in New York
"It's going to be wild," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a powerful gay-rights activist. "I think it's going to be electric and thrilling."
The New York Police Department said it will have a beefed-up presence at the march.
"We have additional resources that will be deployed," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. "The parade ends, but the celebration continues, and it continues into Monday morning, quite frankly."
The historic approval of same-sex marriage by the state Legislature also quickly proved a wind fall for the city wedding industry.
Jason Mitchell (30) and his partner, Michael Zahler, (27) booked the popular Angel Orensanz Center on the Lower East Side for a Memorial Day Weekend bash next year.
"We got engaged three weeks ago, and we were anxious to book the venue before the legislation passed because of the crowds," said Mitchell, an event planner at the members-only Soho House. "We had it down as a commitment ceremony, and I can't wait to call and tell them to change it."
Bakeries and event planners were working overtime to keep up with the flood of overjoyed couples.
At City Cakes on West 18th Street, owner Marc Matthias received his first same-sex wedding-cake order during a busy afternoon yesterday.
"We've gotten calls and calls and e-mails flooding in," he said. "People have just been waiting for this occasion."
Event planner Sarah Pease said her phone was ringing off the hook with requests to help engineer the picture-perfect proposal befitting the historic event.
"It's going to open a lot of new doors in the industry," she said. ome couples woke up early to go ring shopping after partying Friday night.
"I already know the ring I want," said grad student Justin Daniels on his way to pick out the bauble with his fianc ufffd, Wally Kramm, a registered nurse. "We want white-gold David Yurman bands."
Of the Tweets
IT PASSED! Marriage equality in New York! Yes! Progress! Thank you everyone who worked so hard on this! A historic night!
Neil Patrick Harris
I have never been prouder to be a lifelong New Yorker than I am today with the passage of marriage equality
Cyndi Lauper
Time to celebrate!!! Marriage Equality for NYers! Its about... love!"
Ricky Martin
I'm thrilled about the news from NY. marriage equality! Every day we get a little closer.u00a0u00a0
Ellen DeGeneres
