Lela Mcarthur & Steph Figarelle

Manhattan. Lela, 24, and Steph, 29, made it over geographical and political divides to say “I do” at the Empire State Building.

The couple met in August 2010 at the University of Alaska.

They were taking the same class, and Steph invited Lela to see a drag queen show. Lela declined when she mistakenly thought the invite was to a drag race, but after Steph cleared up the confusion, the two hit the show together.

They went on their first official date soon after, but it was such a disaster, the pair jokes that there was a second “first date” the following week.

Even though Steph thought Lela was immature for sucking her whipped cream through a straw, both wanted to give it another chance.

“We couldn’t get each other off one another’s minds,” Steph says. “And she hasn’t changed at all. She still sucks her whipped cream through a straw.”

Steph proposed in September 2011.

Since gay marriage isn’t legal in their hometown of Anchorage, they opted for New York City nuptials instead. Though neither woman had been to the Big Apple before, they thought a Manhattan wedding would be a good way to experience a new place.

Lela and Steph wanted to get married at the Empire State Building, but discovered that it only hosts weddings once a year, on Valentine’s Day.

They entered a contest cosponsored by Colin Cowie and the iconic skyscraper and were one of four lucky couples who won a lavish wedding thrown by the celebrity event planner.

“It’s surreal,” Steph says. “I don’t even think we’ve gotten out of the shocked feeling of it all.”

She added that she and her beau were “treated like royalty” and even appeared on an episode of TLC’S “Say Yes to the Dress.”

“It was quite an experience,” says Lela of picking out her dream gown. “I had an awesome consultant who was so easy to get along with, very genuine.”

She fell in love with the very first one she tried one, a perfect “Winter Wonderland” dress that matched the theme of their wedding.

Steph, the self-proclaimed “boy in the relationship,” sported a black tuxedo and silver tie. She says men’s wear has been her formalwear style as far back as her high school prom.

Lela and Steph are looking forward to returning to Alaska, where they work together at Steph’s personal training business.

Their sky-high wedding was the perfect start to married life.

“It really sets the tone for our marriage,” says Steph. “I don’t want to live a mediocre life. I want to do things that are exciting.”