Stephen Ursprung & John Tracey

Though only in their mid-twenties Stephen Ursprung and John Tracey knew they were meant for each other after only a few dates. The couple, who now reside on Roosevelt Island, first met while attending Brown University. “It was pretty clear very early on that this was it,” admits Tracey, 26, a licensing associate at Samuel French Inc. “But we both went straight to grad school from undergrad and I thought it was important to get distance from the academic bubble before getting engaged. I got about six months of that distance and decided I couldn’t wait.” So Tracey invited Ursprung on a whirlwind trip around New York City so he could propose. But several obstacles stood in their way, which we chronicled in our 2013 Wedding Issue late last month, including tag-along friends and concert crowds. “I hadn’t seen the Statue of Liberty since I was a small child, so [Tracey] told me that he wanted me to see it up close,” remembers Urspring, 25, a freelance choreographer and dancer. “On our way back to Manhattan he popped the question. Meanwhile there was some Occupy Wall Street protester calling us fascists and communists because we didn’t engage with him in a conversation about the American Dream. It was a New York experience!”

The couple wed on May 11 at Brown University in one of the newest states to approve gay marriage, Rhode Island. The simple religious ceremony was held in Maddock Alumni Gardens and was followed by a reception at the Faculty Club. Hand-made invitations where imported from Australia’s Akimbo Designs and simple flower arrangements came from Studio 539 Flowers. Married lesbian photo team Brittney Love and Shana Perry of Love + Perry Photography memorialized the day while Seekonk, MA’s Just Sweets provided the cake and Golden Scroll Soloists played classical and contemporary music during the whole affair.

Tracey, for one, has learned that the entire process, from proposal to party, can be very unpredictable. He urges couples thinking about tying the knot to plan for the unexpected. “I suggest planning a wedding that’s half the size of what you can handle,” he recommends. “It will balloon anyway—I repeat, it will!” The pair plan to honeymoon on a Norwegian Cruise to the Bahamas.