Gay Nuptials Event Garners Sponsors

Brandweek, Oct 4, 1999 by Kathleen Sampey

Hoping to spark interest among gay online consumers, Out magazine has gathered a host of promotional partners to stage the first live Webcast of a gay marriage ceremony.

The Oct. 16 nuptials will join Jeffrey L. Newman, 31, president/CEO of Out Publishing's Out.com, on which the event will be Webcast, and men's accessories designer Jeffrey W. Parker, also 31.

Among brands contributing to the ceremony in New York: Flower.com, which is supplying an estimated $15,000 in flowers; The Cormorant Club and Hotel in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (where the couple's honeymoon stay is estimated at $7,000); and Baldwin Formals, which is supplying tuxedos for the four-man wedding party at an estimated cost of $1,600.

"We want to be a part of it," said Sim Mann, who handles marketing and advertising for Flower.com. "The potential in future business for us is huge."