Jamie Page

jepage@tennessean.com

Gay and lesbian couples planning wedding ceremonies in Tennessee often spend countless hours tracking down gay-friendly wedding vendors before even considering the details of their big day.

That's probably why Nashville's first ever "Same Love, Same Rights" LGBT Wedding Expo today attracted nearly 400 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered couples to the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, where 33 such vendors were all in one space.

For nearly 12 years, the national resource RainbowWeddingNetwork has hosted more than 100 LGBT Wedding Expos in 26 states – Tennessee became the 27th today – to help couples find the resources needed to plan their dream ceremonies.

And the states where gay marriage is not legal is where attendance of these events tends to be the highest, said RainbowWeddingNetwork co-founder Marianne Puechl.

"It was a super showing for this event. We have been wanting to come to Tennessee for a long time," Puechl said. "There is such a dynamic community here that wants this. These resources are needed whether marriage equality is even being discussed here."

Kendra and Teresa Washington, of Nashville, married two weeks ago in Illinois and are now planning their wedding ceremony in Memphis, where many of their friends and relatives live.

"This event saves gas," Kendra said. "Normally, we would have to go on the Internet and find all these, and it's hard when you have to go around and check out a lot of places. So, with this event, you get to see the places that want to help with this kind of wedding. It really helps to narrow it down."

For free, they checked out caterers, cake and cookie makers, reception venues, formal wear, apparel, florists, photographers, videographers, DJs, musicians and officiants.

Couples received LGBT-specific planning tips, signed up for give-aways, heard speakers on marriage and family equality, and picked up free samples and swag bags.

Aisha Forman, 25, and Antoinette Chavous, 26, scoped out vendors for their September 2015 wedding.

"It's amazing because you never see this," Forman said. "We are able to plan our wedding that's not even nationally recognized. It's just nice to see this many people even do gay and lesbian weddings."

Reach Jamie Page at 615-771-5460 and on Twitter @JamiePage101.