Melissa Caposello, right, and Carrie Caposello
Melissa Caposello was disturbed when she contacted All Occasion Party Place Wednesday and was told the venue doesn’t believe in holding same-sex wedding receptions.
Caposello and her fiancée Carrie lived in Burleson for four years and often drove by the location on their way to meet up with family. While the couple recently moved to Waco when Caposello’s fiancée was transferred, she said they want to marry in North Texas because their friends and family live in DFW.
When a woman answered the phone, Caposello said she and her partner were planning to marry next June and she asked about prices. The woman then asked if partner meant they were a same-sex couple, to which Caposello said she replied that they were. The woman then said the venue didn’t do same-sex weddings.
“She said it was because we don’t believe in it,” Caposello said. “I just kind of was like ‘That’s incredibly odd,’ and she did not say anything. And I was like, ‘OK, well thank you very much.”
The same venue turned away a gay couple in February when the owner wrote them in an email that “it is because of God that I will not be a part in your reception and I know he loves you but not what you are doing.”
The venue’s owners did not respond to a request for comment.
While the venue has a Fort Worth address, it’s not within Fort Worth city limits and therefore doesn’t fall under the nondiscrimination ordinance barring discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing and employment.
Caposello said a friend offered to host the couple at her home after hearing about the incident. Caposello said she doesn’t even want to call other venues in the area in case she gets a similar response.
“At what point does it stop being a gay wedding and just be a wedding?” she asked. “It’s very just disheartening that it happened.”
However, Caposello said she still plans to have the wedding of her dreams. She and her fiancée dated for a while about 12 years ago, but the timing wasn’t right. The two remained friends and began dating about three years ago when they ran into each other. Caposello said they plan to marry in New Mexico before their June ceremony.
