In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Paul Saltalamacchia, Senior Catering Sales Manager for Hilton Worldwide about planning your gay wedding or LGBT event. Saltalamacchia is currently based at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in Boston overlooking the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which embraces diversity to ensure that your event is flawless and exactly to your specifications. Weddings can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $50,000 and Paul understands the full range of emotions that goes into preparing for your momentous day guiding you through the sometimes overwhelming process. The DoubleTree Suites in Boston-Cambridge offers three fabulous venues at their location including the Charles River Ballroom, Rooftop Terrace and Scullers Jazz Club. We talked to Paul about preparation for your special event and his spin on our LGBT issues.
When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Saltalamacchia stated, “I believe that every person deserves equal rights regardless of their sexual orientation, their nationality, religious beliefs or physical or mental restrictions. I truly believe that and I’ve believed that my entire life that everyone should be treated equally. So it’s really important to me that gay couples receive that same treatment when they come into the hotel. I remember when it first became a law in 2004, I would have couples call me and say ‘I have a question, I’m inquiring about a wedding but do you allow gay weddings at your hotel?’ I was really shocked to hear that a lot of other hotels in the city were actually turning away gay couples because of their sexual orientation and I thought that was crazy. I went to my general manager when the question was asked of me and I said we’re ok with doing gay weddings at the hotel? And he said of course we are, it doesn’t matter to us. I met with my staff for an hour long kind of orientation to question them to see if they were comfortable working a gay wedding and it was very surprising how open all the people that worked at the hotel were to it. It was a big deal. The word got out and it became very popular. I would say maybe 15 to 20 percent were gay weddings.”
Paul Saltalamacchia began his career in healthcare nutrition and made the switch to hotel event catering and sales in 1998. He has been a Certified Social Event Planner since 2006. His focus has been on social events, mainly weddings and Bar Mitzvahs and enjoys turning people’s vision into reality. At DoubleTree Suites in Boston/ Cambridge Saltalamacchia works with acclaimed Chef Steve Ali committed to making your dreams come true for your special event. Whether trendy or traditional, extravagant to tastefully modest, they’ll make this exciting day everything you imagined it would be.
For More Info: doubletree3.hilton.com
1 comment:
Paul's a sweetheart to work with and a real gentleman. I enjoyed hearing his point of view on the issues and to know he's overseeing a positive attitude within the hotel about equal treatment for all.
Post a Comment