Gay and lesbian wedding expo slated for JW Marriott

By Paul Takahashi (contact)

Monday, Nov. 8, 2010 | 2:55 p.m.

The Same Love, Same Rights LGBT Wedding Expo is hosting its second annual event in the Las Vegas area on Sunday.

The gay and lesbian wedding expo will be held between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa in Summerlin, 221 N. Rampart Blvd. The event is free for the public to attend.

The wedding expo will host more than 50 gay-friendly businesses, including photographers, event coordinators, officiants, ceremony and reception venues, cake decorators, musical entertainment, floral designers, travel planners and legal resources.

Attendees can also enjoy music, samples, giveaways and interactive presentations as well as goodie bags for couples planning their ceremonies.

The Same Love, Same Rights Expo was founded and organized by Rainbow Wedding Network, the LGBT community’s first online wedding gift registry. Launched in 2000, RainbowWeddingNetwork.com became a popular online resource for the community, receiving more than 1 million hits during its first six months, according to expo organizers.

With the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment Act in 2004, the network began the Same Love, Same Rights campaign, which has produced more than 35 LGBT wedding expos around the country.

“Gaining domestic partnerships in Nevada (last year) remains a milestone to celebrate,” said RainbowWeddingNetwork co-founder Marianne Puechl. “The fact that the state legislature overturned the governor’s veto in 2009 makes Nevada one of the states leading the way toward equality for all Americans who are lesbian, gay bisexual or trangendered.”

For more information about the wedding expo, visit www.samelovesamerights.com.