Australian economy sees $30million of gay weddings off to NZ

That's so far. Since New Zealand legalised gay marriage there have been 500 Australian same sex couples go across the Tasman to get married.

New Zealand is proving to be a massively popular destination for Australian same-sex couples to wed, with the number of couples doing so in the last two years reaching 500.

Since marriage equality was legislated across the Tasman Sea in August 2013, 264 Australian female-female couples have exchanged vows in New Zealand, and 236 male-male couples have done likewise. more

There is a figure quoted for a wedding of $65,000 in another article as an average spend by straight couples in Australia for their weddings.

A fresh focus by Turnbull on the equality of love would soften the national narrative, not to mention unleashing billions of dollars of potential spending on confetti, cars and venue hire. 

For there is no spirit on earth more willing to throw money to the wind than an expectant bride or groom. 

The average couple spends $65,482 on their nuptials, according to the latest annual "Cost of Love" survey by the Bride to Be magazine. There's no reason to think gay couples will be any more restrained. 

The 2011 census identified 33,714 same-sex de facto couples living in Australia. If only half of those decided to get married, that would unleash more than $1 billion of economic stimulus. 

Stationery shops would sell more paper. Wedding venues would take more bookings. Photographers would get more jobs. Retailers would sell more clothes. 

Of course, gay couples may spend less, over time, on other things. But the weddings boom would generate a valuable economic kickstart. Read more

Making a total of $32.5million that the Australian economy has lost directly to New Zealand, directly as a result of the illegality of marriage equality.