NATCHEZ — Dunleith has seen a 7-foot cake complete with 12 layers of interchanged flavors.

Monmouth has completely closed its 26 acres to accommodate hundreds of guests.

Needless to say, love has been in the air at countless antebellum homes in Natchez, but none have hosted a same-sex wedding celebration.

That could change soon.

With the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide, local wedding venues are preparing for a possible influx.

Lyn Fortenbery, assistant general manager at Dunleith, said the historic home’s large, lavish doors are open to all couples wishing to wed.

“Because Natchez is a wedding destination, I think it will only increase and expand more markets for us,” Fortenbery said of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

In the past, Fortenbery said the popular wedding venue has had several inquiries from same-sex couples about getting married at Dunleith.

However, no same-sex weddings have ever been performed, as Mississippi was one of 14 states that didn’t recognize same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“Now with this ruling, I’m sure we will probably start having same-sex weddings,” Fortenbery said.

On average, Fortenbery said Dunleith hosts 40 weddings a year.

Anywhere from 50 to 100 couples celebrate their anniversaries at Dunleith, Fortenbery said, and 25 to 30 couples a year have their honeymoon at Dunleith.

“(Sam-sex) couples have certainly come here before to tour the house and celebrate milestones,” Fortenbery said. “We just haven’t had a wedding yet.”

Carrie Lambert, marketing director at Monmouth Historic Inn, echoed Fortenbery and said Monmouth is an inclusive venue — and same-sex couples are more than welcome to wed at the historic home.

“A guest is a guest,” Lambert said. “Our goal is to make their stay at Monmouth unforgettable.”

Like Fortenbery, Lambert said Monmouth hasn’t had any wedding bookings for same-sex couples yet.

If a same-sex couple were to inquire about a wedding, however, Lambert said the staff of Monmouth would treat it just like any other wedding.

“If anything, this will just help our wedding industry,” Lambert said.

On a state level, Christy Mallory of the Williams Institute at the University of California said the Supreme Court’s ruling has the power to generate $36 million in revenue over the next three years in the state’s wedding industry.

And because Natchez is already a popular wedding destination, Mallory said the city might feel that impact stronger than other areas in the state.

“I think wherever there is a wedding infrastructure already set up, the impact will be greater,” Mallory said.

Through studying past trends, Mallory said same-sex weddings are typically smaller than the traditional male-female wedding.

However, with same-sex marriage becoming more widely accepted, Mallory said that trend is changing.

“Before, we were seeing same-sex couples spending about three quarters less than the traditional couple,” she said. “That’s starting to even out.”

More weddings mean more out of town guests, which means more money.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said that’s a “very, very good thing.”

“It can’t do anything but increase our wedding destination numbers,” Brown said.

Kevin Kirby, convention and visitors bureau director, said the tourism industry in Natchez would embrace same-sex couples with open arms — just like any other guest to the city.

“Tourism is an inclusive industry, and we plan to just keep marketing as we have in the past,” Kirby said. “We’ve never inquired about personal lifestyle before, so why would we now?”

With more couples potentially visiting Natchez to say their “I do’s,” other businesses beside wedding venues will also be affected.

Christine Tims, owner of Bisland House Bed and Breakfast on Commerce Street, said more tourists simply means more beds filled.

“If it brings more tourists into Natchez, more power to it,” Tims said of the Supreme Court ruling.

Tims said she has had same-sex couples stay at Bisland before.

“All are welcome, and I’m not going to discriminate against anyone,” she said.

And while all numbers point up for Natchez’s wedding industry, Fortenbery said only time would tell the true impact will be.

She is hopeful it will be a positive one, though.

“As we begin issuing more licenses, I think we will see more weddings,” Fortenbery said. “And that’s a good thing.”