Love Is Love In Greater Fort Lauderdale! Sunrise Beach Wedding Celebrates Marriage Equality In The Gay Capital Of Florida

GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the landmark announcement for same-sex marriage equality in Florida, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a "Love is Love" initiative to marry both LGBT and straight couples from across the nation in an historic collective wedding ceremony.

The sunrise beach wedding will take place on Fort Lauderdale beach in front of the W Fort Lauderdale Hotel on Thursday, February 5th.  Registration to win a "Love is Love" wedding trip is available at www.sunny.org/loveislove starting today. 

Reverend Dr. Durrell Watkins, senior minister, of the Sunshine Cathedral will preside. The Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, JetBlue, W Fort Lauderdale and area partners have joined together to provide a wedding to remember.

Following the sunrise beach wedding, the newlyweds will be invited to the W Fort Lauderdale for a post-ceremony champagne toast and reception to commemorate the unique occasion.  In addition, a lucky couple will receive an ultimate cruise wedding getaway to begin their new life together.   W Fort Lauderdale also is offering a "Love is Love" wedding package for an extended stay in Greater Fort Lauderdale.  

"I'm extremely proud of the willingness and openness of our hospitality community to affect change for the better.  And as we commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the founding of Broward County in 2015, we're excited to extend our never wavering support of the LGBT community, and provide couples gay and straight from across the country to be a part of this significant day in history," said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In a ruling handed down in December, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta turned down a request by Florida's secretaries of health and management services and the clerk of the court in the Panhandle's Washington County to extend a stay in the state's gay-marriage ban case. A federal judge based in Tallahassee had ruled in August that the state's gay-marriage ban is unconstitutional, but stayed his decision until Jan. 5 to give the state time to appeal.

"Greater Fort Lauderdale has long been a pioneering advocate of the LGBT community in Florida and our 'Love is Love' campaign is another example of how we hope to continue to positively impact our resident community and visitors by offering this special day to rejoice as now we all can say 'I Do' legally," said Richard Gray, managing director, LGBT market, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Home to the highest concentration of same-sex couple households in the country, and as one of the top LGBT vacation destinations in the world, Greater Fort Lauderdale is one of the most diverse gay capitals and continues to be a destination of choice for LGBT travelers with hundreds of gay-owned and operated businesses.

For more information on the "Love is Love" wedding celebration, visit www.sunny.org/loveislove.

Editor's Note:  Please click here for a broadcast-quality video about the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau's "Love is Love" wedding celebration. Please click here for high resolution images.

Nicki E. Grossman and Richard Gray are available for interviews on this subject. 

About Greater Fort Lauderdale

From the seagrass to the sawgrass, Greater Fort Lauderdale boasts more than 34,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts, and Superior Small Lodgings reflecting a "beach chic" vibe. Visitors enjoy 23 miles of Blue Wave certified beaches, discover 300+ miles of inland waterways that run from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Everglades, dine at thousands of restaurants and eateries, get immersed in a thriving arts and culture scene and indulge in top shopping. For more info, contact the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 22-SUNNY or visit www.sunny.org.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau can also be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/visitlauderdale and Instagram at www.instagram.com/visitlauderdale. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/visitlauderdale or join us on Foursquare at www.foursquare.com/visitlauderdale. To have Greater Fort Lauderdale in the palm of your hand, download the free iPhone applications, Fork Lauderdale and Defrost Your Swimsuit at www.sunny.org/apps.

SOURCE Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau