Council speaker Quinn marries partner

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Wedding bells for New York City's first openly gay City Council Speaker.

Christine Quinn exchanged vows Saturday with her long-time partner Kim Catullo, just a few blocks from their home in Chelsea.

The arrivals for the private ceremony were like a who's who of New York's political landscape.

There was Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and New York's U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer.

Also attending were city council members and state assembly members, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who signed the state's bill legalizing gay marriage almost one year ago.

The wedding took place at the High Line Stages.

The two first met 11 years ago, and we're told the ceremony featured a video about their shared history.

The theme of the wedding was "Spring in New York," and was inspired by the High Line city park.

A variety of local flowers were used.

The brides carried wildflowers in the spirit of the High Line only feet away.

The 5-tier cake is chocolate chip, and the bridal party walked in to a mix of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "What A Wonderful World."

Quinn wore a gown made by designer Carolina Herrera. Catullo wore a cream silk suit designed by Ralph Lauren.

Each of the brides' fathers walked them down the aisle.

But on Friday Speaker Quinn joked, don't expect her dad to say too much more than he already has.

"My sister came up with a ploy that if any of you ask him a question for the next period of time, he's supposed to say 'My hearing aid isn't working, I have no idea.,'" said Quinn.

Catullo's nephew described how he told his young son, who saw them as a couple..no matter what.

"I go, 'Kimmy and Chris are getting married,'" said Jeff Catullo.

"He goes, 'I thought they were married already.' It really gets the point across."

But it is set against a political backdrop that's changing, at least in the White House, with the president declaring his support for gay marriage only a week and a half ago.

"People you'd never expect are for gay marriage in all parts of the country," said Sen. Schumer. "So it's not a question of if, but when..everywhere."

The brides both lost their mothers to cancer when they were younger, and so some of their gifts will go to a fund for Memorial Sloan-Kettering - to fight womens' cancers.

Quinn is expected to run to replace Bloomberg next year.

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new york city, christine quinn, gay marriage, new york city politics, new york city council, new york news, stacey sager

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