The Manchester Gay Wedding Show scores a 10 : 10 : 10 for the record number of gay and lesbian couples planning their weddings.
10/10/10 was a beautiful sunny day in Manchester, as the UK’s official Gay Wedding Show opened its door for the seventh successful year helping couples plan and book venues and suppliers for their special day.
As the North’s number one show for same-sex couples, The Gay Wedding Show in Manchester presented some of the best exhibitors who actively value and support the gay community.
Guests were welcomed with goodie bags and a Rosé sparkle courtesy of the show’s newest sponsor Lambrini. While the fun and excitement from show hostess Dixie Tucker kept couples, their friends and families entertained; the experts on hand from Pink Weddings inspired couples with ideas and options for how and where to have the perfect ceremony, celebration and honeymoon.
Visitor numbers bucked the opposite-sex trend by being 25% up on last year and for the second year running the girls represented 76% of couples planning their wedding.
Gino Meriano founder of the Gay Wedding Show commented “it was one of the most talked about shows with the highest amount of on-the-day bookings ever seen. I was humbled by the number of couples thanking the team for bringing such a vital opportunity to support them make their day a reality with ease.”
Cheshire East Register Office enthralled and moved many same-sex couples with their amazing example Civil Partnership ceremonies demonstrating for yet another year how they are the only proactive register office around the area to support gay and lesbian couples at the show.
Meriano continues “following another successful year in the North demonstrating the need and demand for a show where same-sex couples can meet potential suppliers without experiencing hidden homophobia or feeling uncomfortable, we look forward to 2011 continuing to find more exhibitors willing to invest commitment and demonstrate true equality to our community.”
In 2009, Manchester held 117 Civil Partnerships which equates to approximately £1,000,000 of new wedding business from Manchester alone. This rises to £1.7 million when looking at the 244 couples who held their Civil Partnerships around Greater Manchester.
Meriano comments, “It’s crazy that we still hear outlandish comments that same-sex weddings are not worth taking seriously from businesses and even some public services. I understand the commercial opportunity and while we all recognize the market is still so young, I cannot sit back and do nothing when I continue to hear from gay and lesbian couples that they simply cannot find out what’s available to them legally and book businesses that end up discriminating and ruining their day”.
Final preparations are underway for 2010’s Gay Wedding Show finale in Brighton on the 14th November at the Corn Exchange.
The team would like to thank all its sponsors for 2010 for their support and attendance at the shows from Lambrini, MTA, A City Law Firm, Alliotts and for over 5 years now John Lewis.