Mayor Bloomberg officiated at the wedding of two top city officials on Sunday, the first day that New York's same-sex marriage law went into effect.
Bloomberg, who has officiated two weddings prior since taking office in 2002, married his consumer affairs commissioner, Jonathan Mintz, and chief policy adviser, John Feinblatt.
The ceremony took place at Gracie Mansion.
Bloomberg said earlier in a statement that Mintz and Feinblatt, who have been together for many years, helped him "see the issue of marriage equality in very clear terms."
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"This will be one of the biggest days of their lives, a day they've waited a long time to see, and I'm just honored to be a part of it," he said.
The ceremony was held at the bottom of the steps of Gracie Mansion, with the Mayor officiating behind a clear podium. Feinblatt and Mintz walked from the porch down the steps with their daughters, Maeve and Georgia, who both held flowers and wore white dresses.
"[Mintz and Feinblatt] wish to establish a union that is greater than the sum of it's parts," Bloomberg said. "And we are grateful that they are allowing us to take part in this truly momentous ceremony both for them and for us.
The mayor briefly touched upon the significance of the ceremony, saying that history "takes an important step forward" by allowing same-sex couples to marry, both in New York and elsewhere.
"Decades from now, when you are attending the weddings of your great grandchildren, this occasion might come up, and I hope you will remember it this way," he told the two daughters. "On a beautiful summer day in New York City, two people who loved each other dearly came together in front of family and friends and pledged their lives to each other. And when all is said and done, that's what tonight is all about.
New York was the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. The gay marriage bill was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on June 24.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
