Brigg McDonald and Stephany Lee married in Iowa Monday, April 23, 2012.
Photo by Stephen Mally for The New York Times
The couple wed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where same-sex marriage is legally recognized and the trials for the Olympic team were being held. Lee and McDonald make their home in Colorado Springs, Col., with McDonald’s children, Ethan, 12, who was the ring bearer, and Savannah, 10.
Stephany Lee, right, in Iowa City, Iowa. Photo by Larry Slater
The couple has been together for four years, and had about four days to pull together their wedding. “It was an opportune time,” Lee told the Times. All the paperwork was taken care of within a week’s time before the quick ceremony at the chapel, where Branch reports that, “the five-minute ceremony stalled for just a moment as the ring would not fit over Lee’s swollen finger.”
“That’s what you get for wrestling,” the reverend said.
Lee, who donned jeans and a striped shirt for the festive occasion, said on Monday, “I am who I am, and I’m not going to hide it. I’m not going to dress like a girl to fit an image. No, I’m me. I’m happy. That’s all that matters.”
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