Local Wedding Industry Set for Gay Marriage Boom

Austin Sostack doesn’t plan on rushing out to get married tomorrow. But when he’s ready, he’ll be pumping his cash into a local wedding industry that is ready to open its arms to thousands of same-sex couples.

Some 63,000 gay and lesbian couples are expected to marry in New York State in the next three years once the Marriage Equality Act takes effect July 24, according to a recent report by the State Senate's Independent Democratic Conference.

“I don’t have to worry about buying a $12,000 dress,” said Sostack, 29, who runs a computer repair business on Long Island. “There’s no $40,000 engagement ring either. It’s just two wedding bands so we can spend more money on a better venue…”

That’s welcome news to Peter Lessing, the division manager for Lessing’s, which runs 13 wedding venues on Long Island, including the West Sayville Country Club. 

Lessing said the company has already begun to work on advertising and reaching out to the gay community in light of the historic legislation, which could generate approximately $391 million in "increased economic activity, revenue and savings” over the next few years, according to the state.

“I think we’ll see an uptick very quickly this year,” Lessing said of same-sex marriages, adding that the traditional wedding season is already coming to a close. “I think there’s going to be so much excitement about getting in partying and celebrating, it will help the year out.”

Lessing’s has been performing civil unions for decades—about 10 to 20 a year in comparison to more than 600 weddings—but with a same-sex marriage law soon to be in place, Peter Lessing said he only sees positives for his business.

“We think it could be a very big thing,” he said.

Frank Amantia, the banquet manager of in Lake Ronkonkoma, is also looking forward to welcoming an influx of new clientele.

"I love it,” Amantia said. "We just booked one [a same-sex wedding] right now, we have two gentlemen next month, and one with girls. We have about six or seven on the books, but now the phones are ringing.”

Amantia sees same-sex marriage as just another source of income.

"Business is business,” he said.  “Whatever makes people happy, I don't judge.”

With only so many dates on the calendar, catering halls say the timeline to book a venue may get pushed even further back from the current year to a year and a half recommendation.

Other vendors, though, such as Dale Rutkowski, the owner of in Patchogue, are taking a wait-and-see approach to the Marriage Equality Act.

“I think it will meld into the regular business as time goes on,” Rutkowski said of supplying flowers for same-sex couples. “I don’t foresee some big change coming.”

Tom Carroll, of Sayville-based Park Ave. Studios, also doesn’t expect a mad rush to the photography business. 

“Just because all of these people are going to get married doesn’t mean that they are going to want photographers,” Carroll said. “Maybe they are going to go more economical ways. You just have to play it out.” 

The one thing everybody does agree on: a lot more weddings are about to be planned in New York and most them of them will cost a nice chunk of change. 

"I see this as a positive move for the wedding industry, said Joe Stuppiello, a spokesman for in Lake Ronkonkoma. “No question about it.”

Shana Braff contributed to this article.