No Crying Over Spilled Beer

Paul Justin Kremer felt a little nervous at their first meeting with Stephanie Blair Turner. In November 2013, they were enjoying happy hour drinks in the now closed Beer Bar of Midtown. Mr. Kremer saw Ms. Turner on Facebook, and asked a friend to introduce them.

Lawyer Mr. Kremer had practiced public speaking in courtrooms and mastered gesticulation. His nerves took over that evening and he dropped his drink onto the table. Ms. Turner was covered in beer. She was not fazed by his apology. She said, 'I had a great time so I forgot about the wet clothes and carried on'.

They forged on and discovered that, beyond their work (Ms. Turner also works as a lawyer), they had a shared interest in niche musical genres, including pop punk. They said that such musical tastes are uncommon in their circles. Many lawyers that I meet are surprised at how often I am in moshpits,' said Mr. Kremer.

After the happy hour drinks Mr. Kremer (now 37) offered to walk Ms. Turner (now 35) towards her subway station, but they ended at another bar, Park Avenue Tavern, a few streets away. Turner said that it was a long night.

Although neither was looking for anything serious, they became a couple after attending a Cory Branan show at the Mercury Lounge in winter. At the concert, Mr. Kremer tried to pay back the musician for albums that he had illegally downloaded in the past, but Mr. Branan, whose music was categorized as revivalist punk, wouldn't accept it. Branan instead took their photo and tweeted them about them. He called them a "lovely pair."

When Mr. Kremer saw the picture, he thought: 'Oh I guess we are a couple.

A scrawny, black cat was another factor that solidified their relationship over Thanksgiving Weekend in 2015. Ms. Turner, who had moved into Mr. Kremer’s apartment in Stuyvesant Town the previous July, had long yearned for a pet cat. While Mr. Kremer spent the holidays at his parents' house in Smithtown (N.Y.), he spotted the cat in the nearby woods. He called Ms. Turner who was in her home at Rockaway, N.J., and told her not to move.

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"We lured him with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey," Mr. Kremer explained. They brought home the cat after no one replied to their posters about a lost cat.

'It has really changed the way we think and act in the world, and how we treat animals and the environment' said Mr. Kremer. The couple decided to adopt veganism.

Ms. Turner holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from Barnard College, and a Law degree from Yale. She is a Manhattan-based lawyer and senior pro bono manager for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Mr. Kremer holds a bachelor of arts in economics and politics from Loyola University Maryland, and a degree in law from Harvard. Mr. Kremer is a partner in the Manhattan office for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a Los Angeles-based firm.

The couple didn't envision a lavish wedding when they envisioned their future. In the span of their relationship they've attended over 30 weddings. Ms. Turner officiated at one wedding, and Mr. Kremer performed four.

'It appeared to be a lot of work', Ms. Turner stated.

In December 2022 they had to put Socrates down. Their relationship was put into perspective after losing their cat.

After going through this, Mr. Kremer stated, "We felt that we wanted to be together to support each through the good and bad times of life."

Yan Fang Chen was the only witness at their wedding, which took place in Manhattan's city clerk office on April 3. The couple had just one photographer present. Ms. Turner was wearing a cat silhouette pin that belonged to her grandmother, while Mr. Kremer was wearing a pocket-square that had been embroidered by an Etsy artisan with a picture Socrates.

The couple then met up with about 30 of their friends and family members at the Winslow in East Village. Some friends from out of town surprised them with a surprise visit.

Mr. Kremer raised his glass to thank those who had come together to celebrate the event with the couple.

He said that the toast was champagne and not a single drop of it was spilled.