The Wyndham Orange County Celebrates California Same-Sex Marriage Ruling With Gay Wedding Packages

Hotels and local tourism offices all around California are responding quickly and happily to the historic state supreme court ruling on May 15, 2008, that has legalized gay marriage in the Golden State. Coincidentally, just last week I had a meeting in Costa Mesa with Thomas Smalley, the openly gay general manager of the Wyndham Hotel Orange County, who told me about his hotel's mission to become a top venue for same-sex marriage ceremonies. Smalley spoke with candor and great enthusiasm - at one point he urged me up out of my chair and took my hands in his in order to demonstrate exactly how a lesbian couple recently exchanged commitment vows at the Wyndham. I was simultaneously amused, startled, and moved - the decision to host gay weddings is, for Smalley, clearly a personal one. He's a caring and charismatic guy (later in the meeting, upon learning I'd soon be driving to San Diego, he raced to the hotel kitchen and brought me back a bag of wheat bread to feed the squirrels who gather famously at the scenic viewpoint along the I-5 freeway).

I should point out that plenty of hotels in California have been hosting same-sex commitment ceremonies over the years, and there are certainly more dramatic wedding sites around the state - hotels and inns that overlook undulating vineyards, snowcapped mountains, or azure seas. But that being said, I've never met a GM of a mainstream hotel who works so hard to welcome gays and lesbians to their property. "I created this package for couples who might otherwise feel uncomfortable taking vows in public," says Smalley about his same-sex wedding deals. "It is my core belief that this is simply the right thing to do."

In honor of the legalization of gay marriage in California, the Wyndham Orange County - which was already a much more affordable wedding venue than many other upscale hotels in Orange County - is offering a "50% discount to the next 50 same-sex couples to book weddings at the hotel." (The ceremonies must take place by Dec. 31, 2008.). And Smalley himself will work closely with you to help you plan your event. Here's my detailed look at the hotel and its services for helping lesbians and gays plan their weddings.