Gay couples check out wedding expo in Falls

With the legal obstacle to gay marriages in Pennsylvania cleared away, lesbian couple Jeanette Elliott and Beth Bevington are looking forward to their wedding next August in Pottstown.
To help plan and get the services they need for the ceremony and reception, they attended Sunday afternoon's The Same Love, Same Rights Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Wedding Expo at the Sheraton Bucks County in Falls.
Elliott and Bevington, who live in Pottstown, were one of hundreds of gay couples who checked out the expo put on by the Rainbow Wedding Network.
Representatives from many wedding related businesses like caterers, photographers and disc jockeys were there to help couples plan their weddings and get the food, entertainment and other services they need for the event.
"We want to make sure everything goes smoothly and make sure we find businesses that are open and friendly to gay and lesbian weddings," said Bevington.
Glenn Jackamonis and Gus Munkenbeck, of Warrington, who are planning a March wedding in Burlington, New Jersey, and a reception in Bristol Township, attended Sunday afternoon's event for many of the same reasons.
"We've been together for 18 years and always said that when Pennsylvania permitted gay weddings, we'd get married," said Jackamonis. "The businesses here are very helpful about planning and giving you ideas for things. I mean, you can do a certain amount over the Internet, but it's always better to meet people face to face and arrange and plan things."
Danielle Richards, of Danielle Richards Photography in Teaneck, New Jersey, said she has set up a booth at eight or nine gay wedding expos.
"For me, it's not so much about actually booking things — though I do some of that here — but about building relationships with other vendors and making people aware we're out there and what we offer," she said.
Richards said it's nice for gay couples to find so many businesses ready and willing to help them in one place.
"I've heard stories of gay couples walking into individual businesses looking for wedding services and getting refused, and that is just blatantly wrong," she said.
Karen Ferry, event specialist for Talamore Country Club in Lower Gwynedd, said she was there to help celebrate the passing of the new law and see if she could interest couples in holding their wedding receptions at the country club.
"We want to let them know we welcome all," said Ferry.
That's the spirit of all the businesses attending the expo, said Cindy Sproul, co-owner of the Rainbow Wedding Network along with Marianne Puechl.
Sunday afternoon's was the 122nd LGBT wedding expo held by the network in 28 different states, said Sproul.

"The businesses here are all advocates of equality and are as excited for the couples as the couples are about getting married," she said.