Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC's Wedding Of The Year: Speaker Quinn Gets Hitched To Her Partner
By
Jen Chung
Published May 20, 2012
Modified May 20, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 5
By
Jen Chung
Published May 20, 2012
Modified May 20, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, the city's second most powerful public official got married—and it was a historic wedding. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn married her partner, lawyer Kim Catullo, in what the NY Times calls, "one of the most prominent same-sex weddings of a public official to date."
With Quinn eyeing a mayoral run next year (hey, Mayor Bloomberg thinks she'd be a "very good mayor"), the guest list was a who's who of New York politics: Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand attended, as did Governor Andrew Cuomo; Attorney General Eric Schneiderman; Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Congressional members Charles Rangel, Joseph Crowley, Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Nydia Velázquez; and yes, Mayor Bloomberg.
Quinn wore a dress by Carolina Herrera while Catullo wore a suit by Ralph Lauren. The Post reports, "Both women, whose moms died of cancer when they were teens, were escorted down the aisle by their tough-as-nails, blue-collar dads, both World War II veterans, Lawrence Quinn, 85, and Anthony Catullo, 86." (Quinn had previously pleaded the case for same-sex marriage to Cuomo by noting that she and Catullo wanted to marry while their fathers were still alive.)
The Times notes, "The wedding, coming a year after the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York State and a year before the mayoral election, has been the buzz of New York political circles in recent weeks and has brought Ms. Quinn the kind of celebrity-style coverage rarely enjoyed by a local candidate for office. As she has talked about the fun of trying on dresses and the stress of writing her wedding vows, it has also provided her an opportunity to soften her sometimes tough image and to remind New Yorkers that she would be both the first female and the first openly gay New York City mayor."
Other details: Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind" was played when Catullo entered, while Quinn had Beyoncé’s version of "Ave Maria." Tony-winning actress Audra McDonald sang George Gershwin's "He Loves and She Loves" (which was changed to "She Loves and She Loves"). And Big Gay Ice Cream Truck served treats outside!
Tagged
christine quinn
Election 2013
kim catullo
same sex marriage
wedding
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys say
Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park on Monday.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 12, 2026 at 11:37 a.m. ET
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
News
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
By
Liam Quigley
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .