Marriage equality is business boom in D.C.

The legalization of same sex marriage in the nation’s capital has been a boom for local businesses. So far, there’s been a 35 percent increase in D.C. businesses, a 28 percent uptick from Maryland companies and a 24 percent jump in vendors from Virginia. The Williams Institute study reported that gay couples in Massachusetts spent an average $7,400 on a wedding. “There seems to be some windfall for our small businesses engaged in the event and wedding industry,” said Jeffrey D. Richardson, director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. “There is potential for a real long-term economic impact.”

[via The Washington Post]