Gay marriages bring big bucks to San Francisco business

Agence France Presse via Yahoo News ^ | Thu Feb 19, 3:07 AM ET | Agence France Presse

[Paleo Conservative]

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - San Francisco's torrent of same-sex marriages may be making political waves across the United States, but they are also proving to be a major business boon for the city's jewelers, florists and champagne sellers.

AFP Photo

Reuters Photo

Slideshow: Same-Sex Marriage Issues

Since the city began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples last Thursday, wedding bands, bouquets and pricey bottles of bubbly have rapidly disappeared from the counters of shops around the city for wedding celebrations.

With no advance notice that the city would undertake the controversial step to legalize their marriages, few of the more than 2,600 gay couples who tied the knot had time to engage wedding planners, choose gowns or hire pricey ballrooms.

Even so, from hotels to restaurants to bars -- and even the city's own coffers -- the marriages have been filling up San Francisco cash registers.

Jewelers reported a run on gold and silver wedding bands in all price ranges, and florists, already busy filling bouquet orders for Valentine's Day (news - web sites), said business was 15 percent to 30 percent above normal.

Hotels meanwhile experienced an influx of sudden bookings by couples flying in from other parts of the country to get hitched, and champagne dealers said sales went through the roof.

"I was selling champagne like it was going out of style, the high-end stuff" said Boyd Swartz of Castro Village Wine.

Even accounting for the fact that it was Valentine's Day weekend, said Swartz, "It was dynamite."

Although it wasn't intended as an economic measure, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom's decision to allow same-sex marriages has given a small but palpable boost to the city's economy, which is still suffering the lingering effects of the economic downturn of 2001.

City officials were clearly happy about that, imploring the newlyweds to celebrate by spending money in the city.

"We still want you to pick a restaurant to eat at," city assessor Mabel Teng encouraged hundreds of couples waiting in line for their marriage licenses.

The marriages also gave a minor injection to the city. Each license earned the city 82 dollars, and coupled with the various fees for civil ceremonies, will garner city hall an extra half-million dollars over what it normally takes in.

Even so, that will only put a small dent in the city's 250 million dollar budget deficit.

But more could come in the form of tax income on all the business generated.

Nowhere has the business been better than in the Castro, the busy hub of gay nightlife in San Francisco.

"The whole neighborhood has been up. Virtually all the stores have had really good business," said Swartz, whose liquor shop is in the neighborhood.

Even as the marriages have tapered off this week, Michael Ritz, owner of the Castro's Church Street Flowers, said he is still taking a constant flow of orders for bouquet deliveries with messages of congratulations for gay newlyweds.

"Everybody wants something romantic," said Ritz.

[billhilly]

San Francisco sucks.

[Callahan]

Here comes the, uh, bride.

[novacation]

"San Francisco(boys) suck"

[Mike Darancette]

Here comes the, uh, bride.

Welome to Maricónia!

[Viking2002]

Yup, that's how Kalifornia does it - fuel the engine of 'evil capitalism' with the lowest common denominator of human behavior. Hollywood got the picture (pun intended) decades ago.

[finnman69]

truckloads of lube and Village People CD's from Amazon to deliver

[bannie]

"Tourism" at its finest?

[Simmy2.5]

How DARE they fuel the greed of the evil capitalist! They need to elect SOCIALIST ther...oh wait. They already did, and yet the EVIL capitalist still profit. Hmmmmm....

[BikerNYC]

They already did, and yet the EVIL capitalist still profit. Hmmmmm....

Don't you know? We will hang them with the very rope they sell us.

[longtermmemmory]

And how will they fund their ecconomy in future generations? (s)recruit the children of "breeders".(/s)

[Trueblackman]

You are one sick puppy for posting that.

[heleny]

So, do they wear the "wedding" bands on the same finger as normal married people, or do they choose an alternative location, such as on the right hand?

Also, do they get engagement rings?

[razorback-bert]

the EVIL capitalist still profit. Hmmmmm....

No Problemo, TAX INCREASE time.

[quark]

Big run on gerbils at pet stores.

[Paleo Conservative]

So, do they wear the "wedding" bands on the same finger as normal married people, or do they choose an alternative location, such as on the right hand?

I think they where them on their middle fingers so they can show it off when they flip the bird.

[Paleo Conservative]

Big run on gerbils at pet stores.

I don't get it. What's the significance of gerbils?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Ask the mod to pull your post before someone answers. Trust me.

[Chris Talk]

Live gerbils sometimes driven into body cavity to enhance sexual pleasure.

Brown gerbil to white Gerbil in Philadelphia, .."Whatsa matter, you NEW in town?"

[Paleo Conservative]

Poor gerbils. That ought to be outlawed a cruelty to animals. Even the Swedish government would object to that.