Lauren Streib does some quick math:
[A] report from the Independent Economic Conference projected that same-sex unions would generate about $284 million in additional wedding revenue and tourism and put another $27 million in taxes and license fees into the state’s coffers over the next three years. Brad Sears, the Executive Director of the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, which has released similar studies for 15 other states and D.C., estimates a more conservative $225 million of economic activity, taking into account the state’s 9,000 couples that are already married.
But these figures are—intentionally—very conservative, using an average spend of $4,000 per wedding. Given that the average wedding in New York City costs about $70,000, while statewide average spend is closer to $30,000, according to The Knot, the impact is likely to be far, far bigger. Using the IDC’s estimate of 66,000 couples to marry in the next three years, that means at least $2 billion will be spent on same-sex weddings. Add in the amount spent on wedding rings and on gifts from guests, and the total injected income will average nearly $1 billion a year for the next few years.
The Dish 