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| (Clockwise from left) Gregg Marzullo (left) and Philip Fletcher. Donald Engstrom, the ceremony’s officiate, ties the couple’s hands together. Guests arrive at the wedding site. The wedding party gathers for photos. (Photos by Annie Lynsen) |
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When planning your fabulous gay wedding, make a stop at GayWeddings.com. Founded by a straight mother, Gretchen Hamm, and gay daughter, Kathryn Hamm, GayWeddings.com was one of the earliest gay wedding planning resources on the market. The company, started in 2000 with TwoBrides.com and TwoGrooms.com, acquired GayWeddings.com in 2005. This expansion allowed the mother and daughter to reach out to even more fiancés.
“We’re able to help couples find what they need in each area,” says Kathryn Hamm, 37, who works in the Clarendon, Va., office. Her mother works in the Dallas, Texas headquarters.
The company offers resources for gay couples all over the country. Jewelers, caterers, florists and venues are the standard considerations that drive couples bonkers before a wedding, and the Hamm family maintains a list of companies that are gay-friendly and/or gay-operated.
If they don’t have anyone in your area, Kathryn says they’ll cold-call businesses to figure out who is friendly and who isn’t.
“I’m happy to pick up the phone and place a phone call and ask, ‘Are you gay-friendly,’” says Kathrynn. “It helps protect the couple a little bit.”
Most gay wedding planners listed are based in Canada and the United Kingdom.
SavvyPlanners.com serves couples in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Key West, Fla. The company assists with invitations, day-of event management, floral arrangements, venue negotiations and even honeymoon planning.
For those who want to travel and marry on the beaches of Hawaii, go to AlohaMauiGayWeddings.com. The company helps you in getting to the island and then in throwing a tropical ceremony with the options of chartering boats, hosting a luau and even releasing doves at the end of the vows.
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HOME > ENTERTAINMENT > FEATURE
By: GREG MARZULLO COMMENTS
 
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stepparents were there, and even my stepfather’s ex-wife came in from Denver, along with my stepbrother and stepsister.
Our wedding came at an interesting convergence of events. We held it on the full moon of June, the traditional marriage month named after Juno, Roman goddess of matrimony, and that day also happened to be D.C.’s Pride celebration. During the month where gay people unfurl their banners and proclaim their identities far and wide, Philip and I also showed our pride in our relationship.
The week before our wedding, on Saturday, June 5, President Bush told marriage amendment supporters, “For ages, in every culture, human beings have understood that marriage is critical to the well-being of families.”
When I saw the tear-stained cheeks of our parents and the bright smiles of our siblings, I found I agreed with the president. When I heard the thunderous applause of the community when we were presented as Philip and Gregory Fletcher-Marzullo, I, too, believed in the importance of marriage to our families of blood and our families of choice.
When I leaned in for one of the day’s many kisses, sealing the love and commitment between us for the rest of our lives, I knew that gay marriage doesn’t divide our nation — it brings together families and friends in the celebration of love and beauty. If that’s not the pursuit of happiness, I don’t know what is.
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