Michigan's Most Influential Marriage Equality Supports to Model at 3/21 Event

Pride Source Media Group, publisher of Between The Lines, will host its fifth-annual Ultimate LGBT Wedding & Anniversary Expo from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at the Southfield Civic Pavilion (26000 Evergreen Rd., Southfield, MI 48076). The event features businesses that provide wedding services to same-sex couples, dancing, entertainment, fashion, food, prizes and much more.

This year’s Ultimate LGBT Wedding & Anniversary Expo will again feature a fabulous bridal fashion show at 2 p.m. The show, produced by B. Ella Bridal in Plymouth and The Tux Shop from Birmingham, will not only feature the latest styles in wedding couture, but will also include a guest appearance by jewelry designer Rony Tennebaum and an influential roster of models:

· Lisa Brown, Oakland County Clerk and 2014 candidate for lieutenant governor on Mark Shauer’s ticket

State Representatives:

· Kristy Pagan, Canton

· Jeremy Moss, Southfield

· Jon Hoadley, Kalamazoo

· Robert Wittenberg, Oak Park

Candidate for State Representative in 2016:

· Brian Stone

Community Activists:

· Alicia Skillman, former ED at Equality Michigan

· Emily Dievendorf, current ED at Equality Michigan

· Kevin Heard, VP Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce

· Ramon Harris, Board Member Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce

· Ethan Best, Deacon at Metropolitan Community Church

Also: David Nelson, Austin Williams, Sam and Joel Kremke, Ashley LeBlanc, Jessica Tiernan, and Tashi Acket.

The Ultimate LGBT Wedding & Anniversary Expo is expecting record crowds this year – a pivotal year for marriage equality. In June, the Supreme Court should rule that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. Same-sex marriage is still banned in the 13 states, including Michigan.

More than 100 LGBT friendly vendors, including caterers, banquet halls, florists, bakers, celebrants, bridal shops, tuxedo shops, rental companies, jewelers, hairdressers, beauty products, limousines, adoption agencies, attorneys, financial planners and social service agencies will be on hand ready to serve LGBT couples and anyone interested in planning a perfect wedding celebration.

Guests are invited to meet and greet with vendors, browse offerings, and join in one of the many scheduled seminars and celebrations taking place during the event. Jeff Zak catering will kick off the expo with a complimentary champagne brunch from 12:30-2:00 p.m. A financial workshop will be held on site from 1:15-1:45 p.m. called “My Family, Our Money.” After the 2 p.m. star-studded fashion show, Sweet Dreams Bakery will roll out a fabulous wedding cake at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate the first anniversary of U.S. District Judge Friedman’s historic decision in the DeBoer v. Snyder case. Exactly one year ago to the day, the judge declared Michigan’s marriage ban to be unconstitutional, prompting more than 300 couples to marry the next day at four county clerk offices. Motif singers will keep the party going until 4:00 p.m.

A seminar hosted by Robert A. Sedler, a distinguished professor at Wayne State University Law School, where he teaches courses in Constitutional Law and Conflict of Laws, will precede the expo from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Sedler, the attorney’s expert in the DeBoer v. Snyder case will discuss the current state of the struggle for marriage equality, the implications of the case going before the U.S. Supreme Court and the historic impact it will have on millions of LGBT people in Michigan, family, friends and the entire nation.

Tickets are free and available www.btlweddingexpo.com, but a donation at the door to National Marriage Challenge, a fund created to raise money for the legal fees and expenses in the DeBoer v. Snyder case, is appreciated. Vendor space is sold out. For more information, please visit www.btlweddingexpo.com or call 734-293-7200 ext. 15.