Gay Nuptials Wedding Showcase to be held in Wilton Manors, Florida

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - July 29, 2014 - PRLog -- The inaugural Gay Nuptials, a wedding showcase organized by Bobby Kyser, the owner of Panache Style,a Wilton Manors-based floral design and events planning firm, will be held on August 17, 1-4 p.m. at Hagen Park Community Center, 2020 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors.

Gay Nuptials will feature more than 30 different vendors that offer a wide variety of wedding ceremony services to same sex couples, including venues, catering, flowers, invitations, entertainment, photography, attire, rentals and more.

Tickets for Gay Nuptials are $20 and can be ordered online at www.mygaywedding.org or by calling 954-356-9377.  All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to The Pride Center at Equality Park, which provides a welcoming, safe space for the LGBTQ community (www.pridecenterflorida.org).

The Broward County Convention and Visitors Bureau is the presenting sponsor of the event.

“We look forward to Gay Nuptials becoming an annual must-attend event for engaged same sex couples,” said Kyser, who references Bernadette Coveney Smith’s book, The Business of Gay Weddings, as proof that gay weddings provide a tremendous business opportunity. “According to Smith, the national gay and lesbian buying power is estimated at $790 billion.  We know that gay weddings are expected to grow rapidly, especially here in Florida, where destination weddings are popular.”

Prior to the opening of Gay Nuptials, a training session for professionals in the wedding business will feature, “Oh No, You Didn’t! 5 Things to Say When Planning Same Sex Weddings,” presented by renowned diversity training expert Doug Cureton.   The session will help attendees more clearly understand the “do’s and don’t’s” of communication and it’s impact on customer service when working with same sex couples.

“Planning a same sex wedding can present a myriad of cross-cultural communication challenges,” said Cureton. “The goal of the presentation is to help wedding planning professionals minimize mistakes that can negatively impact customer service.”

Other topics that will be covered include letting go of traditional wedding ceremonial practices that may not always apply for same sex couples.  For example, gay weddings frequently don’t have a receiving line or garter or bouquet tosses, and often have no wedding party members.

Cureton is the founder of CreativiTEAM, Inc., a training and leadership consulting firm in Fort Lauderdale and owner of Some Men Like It Haute fashion consignment store in Wilton Manors.  Kyser also will be presenting advice for planning equality-based weddings.