Same-Sex Marriage A Boon For Illinois Wedding Industry
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's wedding industry is gearing up for a flood of gay couples, now that Illinois is legalizing same-sex marriages.
Anthony Navarro who is gay, runs Liven It Up, an event planning company in the heart of Chicago's Boystown neighborhood.
Wedding Industry Prepares For Same-Sex Marriage
Over the last 21/2 years, he's done civil union celebrations. He now thinks the floodgates will open.
He says the stereotypes go out the window when it comes to planning an event, as evidenced by two events he planned recently--one for a straight couple and another for two gays.
"It was black tie. It was sit-down. There were string musicians playing during cocktail hour," Navarro said. "That whole kind of very traditional kind of element. And then you had this other wedding - straight couple - and it was kind of like live rock music throughout the night and food stations."
He acknowledges gay marriage will be a boon not just for the wedding industry but eventually will likely benefit the divorce industry as well.
