Prices cut for gay ceremonies

The Wyndham Orange County hotel will offer a discount to gay and lesbian couples who want to have commitment ceremonies at the hotel this year, in a program that General Manager Tom Smalley called a gesture to an underserved part of the population.

The offer, which went into effect Tuesday, would cut half off the $1,200 price of a ceremony by the Wyndham’s outdoor lakeside area for the first 50 couples to register. Smalley, the president of Costa Mesa’s Conference and Visitor Bureau, conceived the package because he believed many homosexual couples felt uncomfortable taking vows in public.

“I feel that there are a lot of folks, a lot of couples, that want to be more public and want to share their commitment in an environment where heterosexual couples get married,” he said.

“I find personally that the gay and lesbian community defers to more private places to hold their commitment ceremonies because there is not a hotel that they feel comfortable going to.”

The Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is affiliated with three gay and lesbian support groups — the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Assn., the Travel Alternatives Group and Best Companies for GLBT Equality — although Smalley said the Costa Mesa hotel was the only one that would offer the discount. He noted he had already booked a number of reservations and might extend the offer past 50 couples if enough calls came in.

Many same-sex couples take part in commitment ceremonies to represent marriage vows. The Wyndham leaves any legal aspects of the partnerships up to couples, but offers its outdoor area and ballroom as a venue for festivities.

Recognizing same-sex partnerships has long been a testy issue in the United States, particularly in the religious community, with Massachusetts the only state to legalize same-sex marriage. Some states bar any legal recognition of gay or lesbian couples, but others, including California, allow civil unions or domestic partnerships.

Ric Olsen, the lead pastor of the Beacon church and a Daily Pilot columnist, said he was disappointed by the Wyndham’s program but understood it as a business decision.

“If that’s a niche in the market, they’re going to do it,” Olsen said. “It is a business issue. I would prefer that our culture was on the same page and everyone had the same views, but we don’t.”

Rabbi Marc Rubenstein of Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach was more receptive to the idea, noting that he had conducted a same-sex commitment ceremony in the past.

“I applaud it,” he said. “I really do. Whether or not it’s our lifestyle, it’s a viable lifestyle.”

Glen Fishman, the projects director for the Travel Alternatives Group, said it was rare for a hotel like the Wyndham Orange County to offer a discount to same-sex couples. Fishman’s group, better known as TAG, endorses hotels that offer employee benefits for same-sex partners and provide sensitivity training for staff.

“It’s a great offer that they’re doing, especially in Orange County, which has a reputation for not being as gay-friendly as some other locations,” he said. “It’s nice to see the hotel stepping forward.”

To reserve a commitment ceremony at the Wyndham, visit www.loveintheoc.com or call (714) 751-5100.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at [email protected].