NYC couples say marriage offers 'security' before Donald Trump's inauguration

NEW YORK (PIX11) – In 2020, Nicole Tay and Paige Miranda started planning their wedding to celebrate their love and growth, aptly set for their 11th anniversary in October 2025. But on Election Day, things got political. 

The promise of a second term for President-elect Donald Trump loomed large over Tay and Miranda’s wedding plans. 

“I love our relationship because it’s so much about us and the growth that we’ve been able to cultivate in ourselves and in each other,” Tay said. “Oftentimes even I can forget how political our existence is.”

Nicole Tay and Paige Miranda at their ceremony in Jersey City. (Elizabeth Spear idleprojects.com)

Tay and Miranda decided to get the legal part of their marriage done before Tump’s inauguration on Monday.

Trump has “erase[d] protections for LGBTQ people,” since 2017 and only promised to go further, according to the ACLU. Recent decisions by the Supreme Court, like the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have raised alarm bells about the safety of some long-held federally protected rights. 

For Tay and Miranda, the “verdict” on whether marriage equality will face a direct challenge remains unclear, but the uncertainty is enough reason to take action.

“How Trump wants to manipulate his authority and the courts and Congress to his will is very outside of my control,” Tay said. “The institutions of marriage, say what you will about it, it is one of the very few levers that we can pull in terms of our own civil liberties that we know offers us some degree of security.”

In November, New York City recorded a 29% increase in marriage license appointments compared to 2023. There was a 23% jump in December compared to last year, according to data from the City Clerk. 

For her part, wedding planner Emily Monus said about three of her eight LGBTQ+ clients opted to move up their wedding timelines. Monus officiated Tay and Miranda's wedding in Jersey City.

“The uncertainty of a second Trump presidency just really weighs heavily on our community,” Monus said. “It just [is] the best way to get any peace of mind.” 

For Tay and Miranda, who live in New York City, it was a huge relief to secure the legal protections afforded a married couple. And getting married was a way to take back power in a fraught political world that can leave people feeling helpless, they said. 

“To be able to take power and take control for yourself is such a rarity in this world,” Miranda said. “When you’re given that opportunity, you take it.” 

Despite some of the anxieties wrapped up in a rushed timeline, Monus said the new political aspect has added meaning and joy to her clients' weddings — a sign of the community's resilience.  

Tay and Miranda’s families were able to make it to their small ceremony at Van Vorst Park on Jan. 3. Now their marriage certificate sits on their refrigerator, which offers some relief for their upcoming wedding ceremony in October, which can now strictly be a celebration of “queer joy” and “queer love,” they said.   

“We’re throwing this party where we get to all be here in our most authentic forms,” Tay said. “That is sort of our contribution to this slightly larger political movement, and I’d never thought about it that way before. I really thought about it as a very expensive big party.”

For Alessandro Spreafico, an ordained wedding officiant from Italy, sharing that joy publicly is crucial. In December, he created a Google Form to help LGBTQ+ couples book his services quickly and at a discount, and a handful took advantage of his help.  

“They should go out there and show how much they love each other, and everyone should see that,” said Spraefico, who lives in Brooklyn. “In a city office, sometimes it’s just a number… Go out there and pick a place where everyone can see you.”

Spreafico has married many same-sex couples coming from Italy to find a more welcoming environment. After Trump’s election, he noticed many New York City couples worrying about getting their marriages done in time. 

“People are worried,” Spreafico said. “I came to New York because of this image of freedom… For me, even just offering this was my way to do my civic duty and [use] my rights to build something different.”

Having a 3-year-old daughter underscores the importance of building a better world. 

“My job is to make sure that the society where we live is a good fit for my daughter,” Spreafico said. “I want her to grow up [with] no fear being with whoever she wants, love anyone she wants. … We want her to understand that she needs to be free and proud to be whoever.”