Yes vote a blow for gay weddings in NZ

NEWZealand wedding destinations could lose business if Australia votes ‘‘yes’’ to same-sex marriages, industry experts say.

Australia is voting in a national referendum on whether to allow same-sex marriage and the debate has become increasingly heated as both sides look to strengthen arguments ahead of the November 15 result.

However, New Zealand has to date been happily cashing in on Australia’s conservatism.

Since legalising samesex marriage in 2013, New Zealand’s samesex tourism industry has exploded as couples travelled from overseas to tie the knot.

Statistics New Zealand figures for 2016 show 471 same-sex marriages or civil unions were registered in New Zealand to overseas residents, almost the same as the total number of samesex Kiwi couples who tied the knot: 483.

That number has been steadily increasing since 2013.

Dan Jarvis and Allen Broad travelled from Brisbane to Queenstown for their wedding in early September.

The couple had been together 15 years and had wanted to get married ‘‘for quite a while’’, Jarvis said.

‘‘The Australian Government were too slow to get with reality and with the rest of the world, so we had our wedding in Queenstown and couldn’t have picked a better location.’’

More than 50 family and friends made the trip.

There would be a big drop in the number of Aussies coming to New Zealand to get married, should Australia make gay marriage legal, he said. Currently, five Australian states legally recognised samesex marriages conducted in New Zealand.

One of Sydney’s leading civil wedding celebrants, Stephen Lee, said New Zealand would always be a place for destination weddings, but agreed that the number of samesex ceremonies would drop if Australia voted ‘‘yes’’.

Lee specialises in ceremonies for same-sex couples who marry in New Zealand, and he also holds a ceremony back in Australia so that the couple’s family and friends can celebrate with them.

‘‘Many of those couples would have preferred to have married at home, but were forced to go overseas,’’ Lee said.

Australia’s wedding industry had already begun preparing to cash in on same-sex marriage if it’s made legal, he said.

‘‘Many wedding suppliers in Australia have publicly signalled their support for marriage equality. I’m already formulating plans with photographers, florists, caterers and wedding planners – some of which are gayowned and run businesses – to market directly to same-sex couples.’’

The Australian Government were too slow to get with reality and with the rest of the world, so we had our wedding in Queenstown and couldn’t have picked a better location.’ DAN JARVIS