Surrey Based company, Pink Weddings Ltd is set to take its successful same-sex wedding expertise into the US market. It is currently finalizing negotiations with key suppliers and will be launching into the massive market later this year with its head office in the state of Arizona. Pink Weddings LLC www.pinkweddings.us  

Gino Meriano founder and gay rights campaigner says “the success of Pink Weddings™ has already helped thousands of gay and lesbian families in the UK and across the globe. After about a year of research and planning we’re excited to start our equality and civil rights campaign in the fabulous state of Arizona.” Established in 2002, Pink Weddings: the group™ has been campaigning for same-sex rights for over 6 years in the United Kingdom and actively building the gay ceremony and celebration market in destinations around the world, including South Africa, Gran Canaria, Spain, Italy, France, Thailand, Switzerland and Prague.Meriano continues “Our mission is to support those organizations in the USA fighting for same-sex family rights and to introduce the concept of Federally recognized Civil Partnerships across all the states of the USA. In a recent report Arizona’s Senior Senator John McCain and Presidential Candidate stated that a Marriage and a Union hold a unique status between one man and one woman that should be preserved. McCain did however go on to state that he does feel that people can enter into a legal agreement. McCain has therefore opened the way for the introduction of Civil Partnerships in the state of Arizona, something I will personally be discussing further in the coming months”.Pink Weddings LLC are proud to be associated with Equality Arizona and the Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce who have been supportive to our cause. Pink Weddings LLC will also bring another first of its kind by launching the first Gay Wedding Expo at the 2009 Phoenix Pride.Mike Meriano, Vice President of Brand, says “We have built on our core identity for the launch of our LLC in America. The word mark includes ‘America’ to symbolise the campaign for full federal recognition of same-sex relationships across every state and the commonwealth. The stylised rainbow petal gerbera signifying our pride as part of our gay and lesbian community is replaced by a rainbow carousel of graphic symbols inspired by the art and history of Arizona where our head office is located”.Pink Weddings LLC: the launch in brief·         Website launches October 1^st 2008·         Pink Weddings LLC sponsors Phoenix Pride and brings the first ever Gay Expo of its kind over the weekend of the 18^th and 19^th April 2009, www.phoenixpride.org o   three amazing ceremonies planned to be held for couples at Pride§  three amazing prizes to be won in California, Toronto and the United Kingdom ·         Supported by Equality Arizona, www.equalityarizona.org to lobby and effect legal changes for gay and lesbian families·         Proud members of the GPGLCC (Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) – http://www.gpglcc.org ·         Echo magazine supports Pink Weddings LLC, the most read publication of its kind in Arizona, www.echomag.com ·         Partners with Arizona Pride Publication and launches a dedicated gay weddings section on www.gayarizona.com  ·         Launches dream-trip travel packages for couples to propose, take their honeymoon or simply use as a getaway through our partners at www.gmjtravel.com ·         Demonstrating Pink Weddings commitment to inclusivity and championing a first in the opposite-sex market in Arizona. o   Pink Weddings LLC partners with Arizona’s largest bridal fair in June at the Phoenix Convention center with over 600 exhibitors www.bridalfashiondebut.com – Release ENDS –

Wedding list firm Wrapit probed 

ADMINISTRATORS for the failed wedding-list company Wrapit are investigating whether the group was trading insolvently before it went under last week.

KPMG, the accountancy firm carrying out the administration, will determine the group’s liquidity position in its investigation. Details will be sent to creditors within eight weeks.

It is against the law for a company to trade while it is insolvent, and directors can be held personally liable for debts if they are found to be in breach of this.  

It has also emerged that Wrapit’s debts total £6.6m, which is almost double the £3.5m originally estimated by HSBC, the bank that pulled the plug on the gift firm. It is thought that the company has a backlog of £5m in unfulfilled orders for presents that were bought for newlyweds but never delivered. Another £1.6m is owed to trade creditors, including landlords and suppliers of the wedding gifts. 

KPMG is also investigating the conduct of management in the months preceding Wrapit’s administration.

Peter Geraldi, Wrapit’s co-founder and managing director, said at the weekend: “I am completely confident that we did not trade the company insolvently. We did not set out to defraud anyone.”

However, some disgruntled customers are already planning to pursue Geraldi and co-founder Pepita Dia-mand in the courts.

One customer said: “They ended up with a lot of City clients who know a thing or two about business – and, given the amount they had spent on these gifts, they are unlikely to let it go without a fight.”

The administrators have put some assets up for sale.  
Gino Meriano founder of Pink Weddings says ” I feel for the couples and would ask anyone to help them as much as possible so their day is not ruined, in addition I have always wondered what happens to all the money made from making supliers pay £75 to enter their awards – we had many questions surrounding this and the selection process and never answered, to me I think this was a way for Wrapit to cash in on suppliers”  

Sunday Times 10^th August http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article4493241.ece

Reported in the Sunday Times today Wrapit goes into administration, Wrapit offered couples gift lists for their wedding day and has left hundreds hanging dry.  More recently Director Pepita Diamand verbally attacked Pink Weddings Ltd and founder Gino Meriano at a conference for weddings planners when Pink Weddings started its claims against the company for discriminating under the retail and goods sector earlier this year. Pink weddings had been preparing to take court action against the company until the news announced today. Wedding lists firm Wrapit goes into administration

KPMG called in to oversee gifts firm founded by Pepita Diamand

IT is probably not the happy ending that Wrapit founder Pepita Diamand dreamt of, but her online wedding-gift company is to be put into administration tomorrow. KPMG will be appointed as administrator after the collapse of talks to save the firm, which employs 100 people and has 15 showrooms nationwide dealing with 3,000 wedding lists a year. Sources close to Wrapit said that “most people” who bought gifts on the site that have not yet been delivered should be refunded by their credit-card providers. Founded in 2000 by Canadian-born former fashion journalist Diamand, the firm blamed the credit crunch and retail-market problems for its woes. It sent a letter to customers recently claiming HSBC had “withheld £1m of our money”, leaving it in a cash crisis. However, accounts show the company has made a loss for the past six years. Diamand, who recently returned from a holiday in Sardinia, could not be reached. HSBC and KPMG declined to comment. (Source Sunday Times Sunday 3^rd August 2008)