McClatchy Washington Bureau

Print This Article

It'll be a big wedding season as same-sex marriages become legal in California beginning next week, experts say.

A UCLA study projects that same-sex marriages will pour nearly $684 million into California's economy over the next three years, with more than 118,000 gay and lesbian couples from California and out of state exchanging vows. That includes nearly $64 million going to state and local government coffers.

The boom will be fueled by spending by both California and out-of-state couples and related tourism, according to the study, by the Williams Institute at UCLA.

"The potential is incredible," said Richard Markal, director of the Sacramento-based Association for Wedding Professionals International, a wedding industry trade group. "It will be a boon to California's economy, no question. The impact's going to be in the millions, easily."

Read the full story at sacbee.com.