Monday, March 22, 2004 | 11:04 a.m.
Cheers and whistles echoed off the ivy-covered walls of the Your Parke banquet facility in Henderson on Sunday after two women said their "I do's" in front of a crowd of friends, family -- and some complete strangers.
The commitment ceremony was held at the Las Vegas Gay & Lesbian Wedding Expo, an event aimed at bringing commitment-minded gay and lesbian couples together with more than 50 service providers and product vendors in the wedding industry.
The Gay & Lesbian Wedding Expo, created by Pride Productions, Inc., gives gay and lesbian couples an opportunity to plan their commitment ceremony without fear of ridicule, said Chris Penland, who heads Pride Production, Inc.
"It was nearly impossible six years ago when we were trying to plan our commitment ceremony," Penland said, motioning to his partner, Chris Counterman.
Penland moved forward with his idea after watching "Gay Weddings," a television show on the Bravo network, he said.
"My family and I watched the special (and) the program opened our eyes and helped remind us that we need to have a positive voice to show that we, as gay men and lesbian women, are just as committed to our partners as straight couples." he said.
Pride Productions provides consulting services for commitment ceremonies and special events, he said.
The expo came in the midst of the nation's debate on same-sex marriage. San Francisco was issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples until a court banned the marriage license office from doing so. President Bush has proposed a federal constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriages.
Nevada law outlaws same-sex marriages -- an initiative was passed by voters in 2000 and 2002. Commitment ceremonies, though, are legal. The banquet facility Sunday was packed with vendors, promoting catering, cakes, makeup, honeymoon packages, wedding rings and other items.
A cardboard cutout of President Bush, wearing a white wedding veil, stood next to a voter registration table, equipped with "Vote Bush Out" bumper stickers and copies of the Federal Marriage Amendment.
A poster read: "If it's not on America's to-do list, then Congress shouldn't put amending the Constitution to ban marriage rights for gay couples on theirs." "Amen," said Las Vegas resident Bridget Contra, 34, who saw the poster while attending the expo to get ideas for her own commitment ceremony with her partner, Marie.
"I wanted to check this out real quick to pick up some business cards and get some quick ideas," she said.
Contra said she and Marie had planned to go to San Francisco but their busy schedules and jobs kept them from making the trip to get married. "It was disappointing when we heard they stopped handing out licenses, but we knew it would happen and were patient," she said. "Sooner or later, all states will be handing out the licenses. It's just a matter of time."
A commitment ceremony between Contra and her partner will suffice until that time comes, she said.
"We'll be married in our minds," she said. "You look at all the people here, look how the vendors have normal wedding stuff, it's very normal. You see the couple getting married here today and you can see it's the real thing in their hearts."
The four-hour event brought in nearly 200 people, including the couple that won a contest to hold their ceremony at the expo. Sandra Dynes and Kelli Prince of Orange County, Calif., were chosen as "the perfect couple" for the ceremony, Penland said.
Dynes, a black woman, and Prince, a white woman, break many boundaries, he said.
"Some people are even uncomfortable with interracial marriages, let alone gay and lesbian marriages," he said. "They (Dynes and Prince) are promoting everything that we are doing, so the question is -- why not them?
"Besides, you can see that they are so much in love."
The commitment ceremony was not legally recognized by the state.
Dynes stood at the end of the altar, shifting an orange corsage pinned tightly onto her black tuxedo, waiting to see her bride.
Elton John's "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" played as guests took their seats and flipped through packets of wedding materials they had received from the vendors nearby.
Prince appeared with white flowers in her brown hair, and a white wedding gown overflowing onto the green carpet beneath her.
The two exchanged their vows and then sealed them with a kiss. Cheers and claps followed.
Dynes escorted Prince under a white gazebo to have their first dance together before running off into a stretch sport utility vehicle limo.
This was the second year for the expo, and it's planned as a yearly event, Penland said. "Las Vegas is a wedding destination," he said. "Well be here helping couples, and no one has the right to stop us."
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