Lesbian Couple Marks Valentine's Day By Marrying Atop Empire State Building

The pair reportedly got engaged at another New York landmark, the Plaza Hotel.
Helena Barquet (left) and Fabiana Faria were one of two couples that got married at the top of New York's Empire State Building on Valentine's Day.
Helena Barquet (left) and Fabiana Faria were one of two couples that got married at the top of New York's Empire State Building on Valentine's Day.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

A New York lesbian couple took their love to new heights this Valentine’s Day when they tied the knot at the top of the Empire State Building.

Fabiana Faria and Helena Barquet, the owners of the Manhattan home design boutique Coming Soon, were one of two couples to win a 15-minute wedding ceremony on the famed building’s 86th-floor observatory.

Barquet and Faria own and operate Coming Soon, a home design boutique, in Manhattan.
Barquet and Faria own and operate Coming Soon, a home design boutique, in Manhattan.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chitra Pathak and Nachiket Patel of New Jersey also won the contest, held annually by the Empire State Realty Trust for 25 years.

The Empire State Building began hosting same-sex weddings in 2012, when Phil Fung and Shawn Klien of New York won the contest, after New York’s legalization of gay marriage the preceding June. Barquet and Faria are believed to be the first lesbian couple to marry atop the iconic building on Valentine’s Day, according to NBC.

The 15-minute ceremony took place at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 14.
The 15-minute ceremony took place at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 14.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

It was a particularly fitting setting for Barquet and Faria, who got engaged at another New York landmark, the Plaza Hotel, according to NewNowNext.

The two lucky couples were chosen from more than 1,000 entries, including international applicants. Jean-Yves Ghazi, the senior vice president of the observatory, officiated the service, which took place at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

The sheer volume of entries, Ghazi said in a statement, made it clear “that the storied history and romance surrounding the Empire State Building continue to touch lives around the globe.”

“I’m excited to officiate at the weddings for Helena and Fabiana as well as Chitra and Nachiket,” he added, “and continue this tradition for its 25th year.”

The Empire State Building hosted its first same-sex Valentine's Day wedding in 2012, after New York's legalization of gay marriage the preceding June.
The Empire State Building hosted its first same-sex Valentine's Day wedding in 2012, after New York's legalization of gay marriage the preceding June.
Associated Press

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