Gay Marriage Begins to Boost Local Economy

It's only been a week since the New York State Senate , but the neighborhood is already starting to feel the economic benefits of it.

From bakeries to jewelry shops, local wedding-oriented businesses are beginning to receive a boost in inquiries from same-sex couples looking to tie the knot. This comes on the heels of the report released last month by the State Senate's Independent Democratic Conference, which projected marriage equality giving the state $391 million in economic activity in the first three years after it is made into law.

"We've gotten several inquiries from gay couples in the last week about wedding cakes, which we're thrilled about," said Ellen Baumwoll, co-partner of in Boerum Hill.

Although planning a wedding is often a time consuming process, many same-sex couples are looking to quickly move forward with their pending nuptials, resulting in a potential backlog of orders for local businesses.

"Typically, you would want to plan about six months in advance for something like a wedding cake, but that doesn't mean we haven't done something a couple of months beforehand or even the week before if we're available," said Baumwoll. "Since the first weddings can't take place until July 25, it does give us a little bit of breathing room."

A 2008 report on same-sex marriage from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law showed that the typical married same-sex couple in Massachusetts spent $7,400 on average for their wedding. Ten percent of couples spent upwards of $20,000 for their big day.

With many couples throughout the borough having waited years for the right to be legally married, Baumwoll said the cakes for these weddings could possibly be more over-the-top than what typically comes through her store.

"The level of celebration is so huge now and you're looking at couples who might have been saving for the last decade or two for their marriage, so they might be more willing to spend money even in this economic climate," said Baumwoll. 

For other local businesses, working with gay couples for their big day is nothing new. Sharon Koweek, owner of at Wyckoff and Court streets, said she has created wedding bands and engagement rings for same-sex couples who either had civil ceremonies within the state, or who traveled to Massachusetts for a legal wedding.

"I wouldn't say the Senate decision has given me new business as of now, but there are couples I've made wedding bands for who told me they'd like a diamond inserted into what was made for them once they could get legally married," said Koweek.

Both Koweek and Baumwoll said that there are few differences between the same-sex couples they work with compared to other customers.

"Ninety percent of the same-sex couples I've worked with want the same thing for themselves that any other couple would," said Baumwoll. "They just want a pretty cake like anyone else."