Gay Friendly Central California Coast Wedding Vendors Back to California Note: Listings are ordered by vendor type, then by city. Wedding Music DJ's 6675 Oak Springs Dr, Oak Park, CA, 91377, USA Phone: 1 808 358-9656 Toll Free: 1 877 738-2543 Contact: Cliff Serving: LA, Ventura, Santa Barnara Purple Unions Disc: No Gay Wedding Entertainment in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Wedding Music DJ's offers professionally trained Dics Jockeys and Masters of Ceremonies. Well dressed, elegant, professional and able to get funky when necessary! Our job is the take your party in the direction you want it to go. We create a custom timeline for every celebration and bring our many years of experience to your party. USA, CA, Santa Barbara - Gay Friendly Pema Osel Ling Eureka Canyon Rd, Watsonville, CA, 95067, USA Phone: 1 831 761-7270 Fax: 1 831 761-6284 Contact: Kristie Serving: Northern California Purple Unions Disc: No Gay Wedding Event Location in Watsonville, CA, USA. Located on 102 acres of redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains we offer scenic locations for your wedding ceremony, reception, and accommodations. Our experienced wedding caterer creates delicious rehersal and wedding dinners as well as meals throughout your weekend! Have an affordable weekend wedding at our peaceful center with a pool, hiking trails, located on a popular street and mountain cycling route and with many nearby attractions like, Monterey Bay. USA, CA, Watsonville - Gay Friendly Vegetarian Gourmet 265 Nogal Dr., Santa Barbara, CA, 93110, USA Phone: 1 805 967-9848 Toll Free: 1 877 967-9848 Contact: Margaret Riesen Serving: Santa Barbara County Purple Unions Disc: 5%, Mention PURPLE UNIONS, Min. 100 guests Gay Wedding Food & Beverage in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. The Vegetarian Gourmet is a full-service specialty catering company, offering customized event planning for all occasions. We ofer the finest vegetarian and vegan cuisines from around the world, prepared with local, seasonal and organic ingredients. Call us today for a complimentary consultations. Most major credits cards accepted. USA, CA, Santa Barbara - Gay Friendly Pure Joy Catering Inc 710 East Haley St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103, USA Phone: 1 805 963-5766 Contact: Sharon Serving: Central California Purple Unions Disc: $30, Mention PURPLE UNIONS Gay Wedding Food & Beverage in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Pure Joy provides full service event management and unforgettable handmade fare., USA, CA, Santa Barbara - Gay Friendly Pure Joy Catering Inc 710 East Haley St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103, USA Phone: 1 805 963-5766 Contact: Sharon Serving: Central California Purple Unions Disc: $30, Mention PURPLE UNIONS Gay Wedding Food & Beverage in Santa Ynez, CA, USA. Pure Joy provides full service event management and unforgettable handmade fare., USA, CA, Santa Ynez - Gay Friendly Weddings by the Sea - Santa Barbara 640 Calle Rinconada, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA Phone: 1 805 705-8069 Fax: 1 805 682-8007 Contact: Alma Rose Middleton Serving: Santa Barbara Purple Unions Disc: No Gay Wedding Officiants in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. I specialize in same sex and gay marriages and offer great and affordable wedding packages in the Santa Barbara and also in the Los Angeles county. I am here to serve your and guide you through the process so that you may be a "guest" at your own wedding celebration. I hope to hear from you and I am truly excited that California now acknowledges gay marriages as legal and binding. USA, CA, Santa Barbara - Gay Friendly Linda Jordan Photography 2110 Burnham Rd, Ojai, CA, 93023, USA Phone: 1 805 320-8465 Fax: 1 805 649-5027 Contact: Linda Jordan Serving: Southern California Purple Unions Disc: 5%, Mention PURPLE UNIONS Gay Wedding Photography / Videography in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Passion for life is what drives us. Photographing the marriage of two people in love, wanting to commit themselves to one another for a lifetime, is a privelage for us. We are photo-journalistic in our approach which means we will capture the interactions of your guests as well as the surprise and pleasure on your faces as the day unfolds. Please visit our website. We would be honored! USA, CA, Santa Barbara - Gay Friendly Michelle Egan Photography PO Bo 31173, Santa Barbara, CA, 93130, USA Phone: 1 805 895-4487 Contact: Michelle Egan Serving: California Purple Unions Disc: 5%, Mention PURPLE UNIONS Gay Wedding Photography / Videography in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. My goal is to capture the very real and very precious moments and emotions of your day. If I can make you cry, I've done my job! USA, CA, Santa Barbara - Gay Friendly Wedding Vendor Listings on Sale thru 1/15: Join Us For $99 for 3 Full Years - Save 64%! Click Here Join our Gay Marriage Watch maillist and get our daily marriage equality news delivered to your inbox free: Email: Name: City: State: Country: Privacy Policy Like Us on Facebook: Relationship Recognition: Legal Ban Out of State Recognition: No Adoption: Yes More Information on LBGT Rights Laws in California from HRC.org If we know about any local marriage equality events, we'll list them here. USA, CA, San Luis Obispo: Oct 19, 2012, "8" The Play Reading, Central Coast PFLAG, 7 PM. Details See All Events | Add Your Own Event Marriage Equality Events Today/Tomorrow: 2/3-2/4/12 Posted On Feb 3rd, 2012 Catholic Church Funds Minnesota's Anti Gay Marriage Amendment Posted On Feb 3rd, 2012 NJ: Governor Christie Thinks Voters Would Pass Gay Marriage Posted On Feb 3rd, 2012 New Jersey Assembly Committee Passes Gay Marriage Bill 5-2 Posted On Feb 3rd, 2012 Maryland State Bar Endorses Gay Marriage Bill Posted On Feb 3rd, 2012 More Marriage Equality News from Gayapolis.com Ninth Circuit Blocks Release of Prop 8 Video Tapes Feb 3rd, 2012 Today, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to release Judge Vaughn Walker's videotapes of the Prop 8 trial. The panel's decision seemed to be determined by the fact that Judge Walker promised to keep the tapes under seal. We expected as much. But, that makes the opinion sound broader than it actually is. In fact, the... read_more Ninth Circuit to Rule Thursday on Release of Prop 8 Videotapes Feb 1st, 2012 The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced today that it plans to file an opinion by 10 am PT Thursday, Feb. 2, regarding the public release of Proposition 8 trial videotapes. San Diego Gay & Lesbian News will cover the breaking news tomorrow. Chief District Judge James Ware on Sept. 19, 2011, granted a motion to temporarily unseal the video recordings... read_more Love Honor Cherish Begins Gathering Signatures to Repeal Prop 8 Jan 18th, 2012 As the fight to repeal Proposition 8 on the November ballot begins, Love Honor Cherish has partnered with the NOH8 Campaign to create a public education campaign telling voters why marriage equality is important. The partnership will launch at a party being organized by nonprofit group "Reason to Party" in San Francisco this Sunday, Jan. 22. Love Honor Cherish was formed in... read_more Big Rally Planned in San Francisco for Day of Ninth Circuit Prop 8 Decision Jan 11th, 2012 The Ninth Circuit has completed all hearings and briefing in the Prop 8 case and could rule at any time. San Francisco is prepared -see Plan below. Since proposition 8 was passed and then challenged in the California and Ninth Circuit Courts, the San Francisco LGBT community has rallied and protested outside each and every hearing, with activists... read_more Should International Law Influence the Ninth Circuit's Prop 8 Decision in California? Dec 30th, 2011 The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is currently considering the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the 2008 initiative that amended the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized by the state. In determining the initiative's constitutionality, the court will follow the approach of Judge Vaughn Walker of the US... read_more Mackenzie Phillips Joins NOH8 Campaign Dec 29th, 2011 Actress Mackenzie Phillips has joined the NOH8 Campaign, the silent protest which raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. The 52-year-old Phillips is best known for playing Julie Cooper Horvath opposite Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli in the long-running CBS situation comedy One Day at a Time. She also played... read_more California's New Domestic Partnership Equality Act Addresses Issues With Domestic Partnership Law Dec 28th, 2011 While California's domestic partnership laws grant certain rights to same-sex couples, they do not provide all of the rights of marriage. On October 9, 2011, the legislature and Governor Brown corrected some of that inequity by passing the Domestic Partnership Equality Act. Effective in January, the law will provide for several rights already existing in marriage. Erik Newton, a partner... read_more New Poll Shows California Independents Strongly Favor Gay Marriage Dec 28th, 2011 From Love Honor Cherish: Love Honor Cherish (LHC) applauds the strong support for marriage equality among California's decline-to-state voters demonstrated in an independent poll conducted by the leading polling firm Tulchin Research on behalf of the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. According to Tulchin Research, decline-to-state voters, comprising "20 percent of the electorate," "show strong support for the LGBT community... read_more The NoH8 Campaign Celebrates Three Successful Years Dec 24th, 2011 The NOH8 campaign recently celebrated its third anniversary with a star-studded party at the House of Blues on Sunset. The NOH8 campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices... read_more CA: Judge Appears Sympathetic to Anti Prop 8 Case Dec 17th, 2011 A U.S. judge appeared sympathetic to a lesbian federal employee's bid to strike down a law denying health-insurance benefits to her spouse, in the first hearing since the Obama administration decided to quit defending the statute. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White heard two hours of arguments on Friday at a hearing on a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, or... read_more Prop 8 Repeal Initiative Gets Go Ahead for Signature Collection in Californa Dec 17th, 2011 A gay rights group that wants to repeal the state constitutional amendment that stripped same-sex couples in California of the right to get married received clearance Friday to start gathering signatures for a measure that would rescind the gay marriage ban known as Proposition 8. Los Angeles-based Love, Honor, Cherish has until May 14 to collect the 807,615 voter signatures required... read_more Watch: Part Two of the Prop 8 Hearing Dec 14th, 2011 Part II is an appeal of a ruling by Chief District Judge Ware, denying a motion to vacate Judge Vaughn Walker's decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger on the ground that he should be disqualified from presiding over the case because he was involved in a same-sex relationship at the time. Full Story from The Washington Blade Click here for... read_more Watch: Part One of the Prop 8 Hearing Dec 14th, 2011 In Part I of the video from Thursday's hearing, the plaintiffs argued that the public deserves to see the tapes created by Judge Walker at the original Federal trial. Full Story from The Washington Blade Click here for gay wedding resource in California. ... read_more New Director of Love Honor Cherish Vows to Fight for Marriage Equality in California Dec 9th, 2011 Eric Harrison is on a mission to achieve marriage equality and he won't stop until he gets it. Now the 34-year old Los Angeles resident just landed a job that will allow him to focus 100% percent of his time fighting for that goal. Love Honor Cherish, an L.A.-based group that has been working since 2008 to restore marriage equality in... read_more Marriage Equality Activist Ed Watson Dies on Eve of Prop 8 Hearing Dec 8th, 2011 Derence Kernek and Ed Watson became prominent faces in the California gay community's campaign for the right to marry when they urged a federal appeals court earlier this year to halt the enforcement of Proposition 8 so they could wed before Watson succumbed to advancing illness. On the eve of a Thursday hearing on challenges to a 2010 ruling that the... read_more CA: 9th Circuit Judges Skeptical of Prop 8 Proponents' Claims Dec 8th, 2011 In what was likely the last hearing before a ruling is delivered on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday appeared unconvinced that a previous ruling on the ban be tossed because the judge was in a longterm same-sex relationship. Before the issue of whether former Chief District Judge Vaughn Walker should have recused himself... read_more Prop 8 Hearing Today in California Dec 8th, 2011 On Thursday, a federal appeals court panel in San Francisco will hear two issues related to the Proposition 8 lawsuit: Whether video of the 2010 trial can be released to the public and whether Judge Vaughn Walker's decision striking down the anti-marriage equality ballot measure should be vacated because he is gay. On the latter issue, U.S. district judge James... read_more Marriage News Watch: Prop 8 Hearing Dec 5th, 2011 Prop 8's back in court -- but why, exactly? I'll answer all your questions about what's going on this time. Plus, the backstory behind the most effective -- and adorable -- marriage equality video ever made. Prop 8's legal defenders celebrate a bill in Nigeria that would throw you in prison for over a decade just for witnessing a gay... read_more Next Prop 8 Hearing Thursday Dec 5th, 2011 In the next few months look for progress in the fight to uphold Judge Walker's decision to strike down Proposition 8 due to the fact that it is unconstitutional. On Thursday, December 8, a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on the efforts to release video of the Prop. 8 trial as well as... read_more Hate Group Expects 9th Circuit to Uphold Prop 8 Decision Nov 28th, 2011 Save California head Randy Thomasson says he expects the Ninth Circuit Court to uphold the overturn of Proposition 8. "It doesn't look very good there," he warns. "Stephen Reinhardt, he's heading up this three-judge panel, he's the ultimate judicial activist." Full Story from Joe.My.God Click here for gay wedding resources in California. ... read_more

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At Purple Unions, we take marriage equality seriously. As a gay couple who have been together since 1992, we know that gay and lesbian couples can and do form long-term, stable, supportive relationships, and we believe the institution of marriage and all the responsabilities and benefits that come with it should be opened up to committed gay and lesbian couples everywhere. To this end, we created Purple Unions as a place where gay and lesbian couples can find gay friendly wedding vendors to help them plan their perfect wedding day. California has a long and storied history on the recognition of gay and lesbian relationships. In 1999, the initial domestic partnership bill was passed. In 2000, Proposition 22, a legal ban on gay marriage, passed with 61% of the vote. In 2001, domestic partnerships were expanded to add additional rights. In 2003, the legislature expanded domestic partnerships to include all the rights of marriage that the state granted to straight couples. In 2004, in response to President Bush's announcement that he would seek a national constitutional ban on marriage equality, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom threw open the doors of city hall to gay and lesbian couples. Between February 14th and March 11th, approximately 4,000 couples made thetrek to The City to marry. The Supreme Court ultimately shut down the weddings, declaring them invalid in August. In June 2008, the Supreme Court stepped in again, declaring that gay and lesbian couples had the right to full, legal marriage in California. Once again, thousands of couples married, but the ruling also gave fuel to the fire of Proposition 8, which had been gathering signatures to place a constitutional ban on gay marriage since the fall of 2007. In November, voters approved 52.5% by 48.5%, a much closer margin than Prop 22, but heartbreaking nonetheless. The California Supreme Court later ruled that the amendment was valid, but also upheld the marriages performed before it went into effect. A lawsuit was subsequently filed against the new amendment, and it was declared unconstitutional in Federal Court in August, 2010. The appeal continues to wind its way through the courts. At this time, Domestic Partnerships are still available to gay and lesbian couples. Gay and lesbian couples can also adopt in California. We hope that you find these resources useful, and that you'll join us in the fight for marriage equality! --Scott & Mark, Purple Unions