In less than one week, on July 24, gay and lesbian couples will be able to legally marry in the Empire State.
And it will also be thousands of dollars cheaper for them to tie the knot than their straight counterparts.
Wedding-themed businesses across the city are clamoring to woo gay customers with deep discounts.
Brooklyn wedding photographer Julian Ribinik is offering 30 percent off wedding shoots for the first three gay couples to sign up. Kimberly Sevilla, owner of Rose Red & Lavender flower shop in Williamsburg, is offering a 10 percent discount to her first 10 LGBT weddings.
“It’s a way to celebrate something that should’ve happened a long time ago,” Sevilla said. “I can’t wait to do my first big extravagant gay wedding.”
When it came to getting married, Long Island resident Courtney Scott never thought being a lesbian could be an advantage.
But now she’s delighted with the $500 discount offered by Alexis Stein Photography for her September nuptials to fiancee Kelly Franke.
“I was floored,” Scott said. “I was like, ‘Whoa, this is working to my advantage for once.’”
For the past year, photographer Jared Slater offered a 45 percent discount to gay couples — to note the 45 states that have not legalized gay marriage. Now, with New York’s new law, the discount is down to 44 percent.
And the ritzy Le Parker Meridien offers a “Love Has No Boundaries/Born This Way” wedding package. For $25,000, gay and lesbian couples get staples like cake and hors d’oeuvres, plus extras like monogrammed “Mrs. and Mrs.” bathrobes.
Gay couples also get an officiant and access to the presidential suite. It’s a perk that would otherwise cost $5,000 a night, according to the hotel.
Fearing a setback or appeal, Scott and Franke are filling out their marriage license July 24, the first day possible, and submitting the paperwork before the wedding — just in case.
