Even during the recession, Argentina, the only South American country where it's legal for gays to marry, is experiencing a bit of a boom. Dear American Government: Legalize gay marriage. Many fabulous careers depend on it!
Since same-sex marriage was legalized in late July, five hundred gay weddings have taken place in the land of gauchos and that really hot Italian-ish way of speaking Spanish, and hundreds more are scheduled to occur in 2011.
Businesses have responded to the increased demand for services by gay couples, and post-legalization Argentina has proven fertile ground for establishing catering and wedding planning business. One small company that creatively calls itself "Gay Planners" has organized dozens of weddings already, with dozens more booked. Hundreds of small businesses courting the gay market have sprung up, and for good reason. The average heterosexual couple spends $12,500 on their wedding, while gay couples will shell out an average of 30% more.
Argentinians who work in the wedding industry welcome the change, as they say it allows them to be more creative in their line of work.
"In Argentina traditional heterosexual weddings are very formal and people can be very conservative," says Monica Piazzi, co-owner of Delicias Gourmet. "It's normally the bride who has to sort everything out and many want their wedding cake to be like everybody else's; there is a need to fit in. Working with gay clients you can be more creative. There isn't an established wedding culture; we're making it up as we go along."
Doesn't that sound like fun? Come on, American legislators. We're shipping OUR jobs overseas! We could be hosting such fabulousness, in our own borders! Why are we letting Argentina hog all of the fabulous rainbow topped marzipan cakes?
Gay Weddings Boom Under Argentina's New Liberal Laws [The Guardian]