Stephanie Figarelle and Lela McArthur, Anchorage, AK(01 of19)
Open Image ModalAt 8 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2012, Stephanie Figarelle (left), 29, and Lela McArthur, 24, became the first same-sex couple to be married in the Empire State Building. "It was one thing to get married, that was all we wanted, to legally have that piece of paper. It was another to get married at the Empire State Building. Your mind starts expanding because then you get this idea of, 'I could have a dream wedding,'" said Figarelle. (credit:Damon Dahlen, AOL)
(02 of19)
Open Image ModalFigarelle proposed to McArthur. She wore a black tux with a silver tie from Kleinfeld Bridal. McArthur was a more traditional bride, wearing a strapless ruched white gown, also from Kleinfeld. She told HuffPost Weddings that she is taking Figarelle's last name, though among same-sex couples there are no hard and fast name-changing rules."We feel like royalty," said McArthur. "The flowers are amazing. My bouquet weighs ten pounds." (credit:Christian Oth Studio)
(03 of19)
Open Image ModalEvent designer Colin Cowie said the inspiration for the early morning wedding came from the couple's video submission for the contest. "They were standing in the woods with the 'just snowed' look in Alaska. I thought, wow, we're going to do winter wonderland here," said Cowie. The decor was "organic chic," according to Cowie, though not literally: Silver sprayed birch trees flanked the aisle and Swarovski crystals dangled from the branches to look like icicles. (credit:Damon Dahlen, AOL)
(04 of19)
Open Image ModalCelia Milton, the minister who officiated the ceremony, recounted the story of how the couple met in a college anatomy class. "The smell of disinfectant was in the air," she joked. The couple recited their own vows. (credit:Damon Dahlen, AOL)
(05 of19)
Open Image ModalFollowing the ceremony, guests gathered for a champagne toast and a seated breakfast of Eggs Boussard and heart-shaped waffles. "We wanted to do a combination of fun and elegant," said Mary Giuliani, the New York-based caterer. (credit:Richard Drew, AP)
Phil Fung and Shawn Klein, New York, NY(06 of19)
Open Image ModalPhil Fung, 49, and Shawn Klein, 51, have been together for 18 years but as New York residents, they were only legally allowed to marry as of this past summer. "It means we have the same rights all other married couples have had for years," said Klein (left). "If one of us gets sick, we can be beside each other in the hospital, and everybody should be able to have that." (credit:Christian Oth Studio NY )
(07 of19)
Open Image ModalFung and Klein met at the legendary New York City night club the Roxy, which closed in 2007. They planned to wed on the 20th anniversary of the day they met, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to be married in the Empire State Building."One of the more important things was being able to get married here during the first year of legalized same-sex gay marriage," said Fung. "Valentine's Day was just an extra bonus on top of that." (credit:Damon Dahlen, AOL)
(08 of19)
Open Image ModalThe theme of the wedding was both Asian-inspired and tropical, but one of the grooms didn't take notice right away. "I was so focused on Shawn that I wasn't able to take it all in," Fung said of the ceremony. "But from what I remember, I loved the orange motif."
(09 of19)
Open Image ModalLush greens and bright oranges dominated both the ceremony and reception. "I wanted it to be masculine," said Cowie. "It's Hermes meets Indochine." (credit:Colin Miller )
(10 of19)
Open Image ModalThe grooms wore matching brown tuxedos with plaid ties from Men's Wearhouse and orange boutonnieres.
Angela Vega and Lubin Masibay, San Francisco, CA (11 of19)
Open Image ModalAngela Vega, 39, and Lubin Masibay, 36, both registered nurses from San Francisco, have long loved the romance of the Empire State Building. "Angela and I have seen DVDs back home cuddling on a stormy night. 'Sleepless in Seattle' ... 'An Affair to Remember.' It's New York, romantic, big city, on top of the world," said Masibay. "It's the best thing that could ever happen to me." (credit:Christian Oth Studio NY )
(12 of19)
Open Image ModalThe Empire State Building wasn't the only factor driving Vega to apply for the contest. "I'm a stalker fan of Colin Cowie," she said.At the top of the aisle, shown above, Cowie created an archway lined with dangling silver and pink ribbons containing written messages from friends of the bride and groom. (credit:Colin Miller )
(13 of19)
Open Image Modal"It really has a fabulous afternoon tea look," Cowie said of the reception. "The color scheme is soft, light pink with grey, silver and white."The refined nature of the tea theme didn't stop guests from jumping up to dance to Rihanna's "We Found Love" and a techno-version of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep."
(14 of19)
Open Image Modal"All the food is pretty much the centerpiece," Cowie said. "You've got pyramids of macaroons, tiers of fingertip sandwiches, and floating flowers in small vases." (credit:Colin Miller )
(15 of19)
Open Image ModalA Toronto-based bakery designed towers of macaroons and an elaborate wedding cake with gold fondant trim. "It's Rococo chic," said Alexandria Pellegrino of Cake Opera Co. "Instead of going the conventional route of a teacup, I wanted to create an absurd moment, which is why you have these Louis the Fourteenth style chairs falling down the cake."Beneath the elaborate outer layer was pink velvet and vanilla cake, strawberry buttercream frosting, and white chocolate and rose-flavor ganaches. (credit:Katherine Bindley)
Paula Cubero and Enrique Catter, Greenwich, CT(16 of19)
Open Image ModalPaula Cubero and Enrique Catter, both 30, were devastated when their 2009 wedding in Mexico had to be cancelled because of a Swine Flu outbreak. The couple, who met in New York City, was more than ready for their dream wedding. "I told Enrique, 'I think we deserve it, we should try,'" said Cubero. "We always thought this was our place: New York." (credit:Christian Oth Studio NY )
(17 of19)
Open Image ModalThe bride's favorite part of the decor was the orange drapery flowing from a canopy of flowers overhead. "It's my favorite colors and I didn't even tell Colin. He guessed it right," said Cubero. "It's totally our personality." (credit:Colin Miller )
(18 of19)
Open Image ModalCubero and Catter's 5 p.m. ceremony was the most formal of the four, with several guests arriving in floor length gowns."I called this the gilded wedding," said Cowie. (credit:Colin Miller )
(19 of19)
Open Image ModalForty guests attended the ceremony and reception, with friends and family coming in from Mexico and Peru, where the bride and groom respectively are originally from."All of this is a dream for all of us," said Eba Cubero, the mother of the bride. "All of the people in Mexico are writing on Facebook saying, 'Please send pictures.'" (credit:Colin Miller )