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" Brian Mosteller and Joe Mahshie met online over July 4th weekend in 2014. They spent a month communicating solely through email and texts, then met up on a Saturday in New York City for lunch and an off-broadway show. The couple was in D.C. last summer when the Supreme Court issued its pivotal ruling on same sex marriage. Together, the two longtime White House staffers stood on the front porch of the rainbow-lit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue mansion for hours. Over Thanksgiving weekend, Joe proposed.  Last Monday in his D.C. home, Vice President Joe Biden married Brian (above left), 40, special assistant to President Obama and director of Oval Office operations, and Joe, 30, trip coordinator for First Lady Michelle Obama. It was an historical moment at the end of eight years of historic White House moments. Biden, who reminded them to include &amp;quot;kiss the groom&amp;quot; language in the ceremony, who graciously hosted their guests, who obtained a special temporary certification from the District of Columbia in order to officiate, presided over the small ceremony in his living room at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. He is the first vice president to officiate a same-sex marriage, and has long been a vocal advocate for marriage equality. It was Biden, after all, who announced his support for gay marriage ahead of the 2012 election, effectively placing pressure on President Obama to do the same.  Despite the tense campaign rhetoric in a darkly electric election cycle, those few hours in the Vice President&amp;#039;s house were joyful. Brian and Joe spoke to Esquire via email about their wedding. ESQ: How did it come to be that Vice President Joe Biden officiated your wedding? Brian: From the day I met then-Senator Biden in 2008, I quickly developed a tremendous respect for the man, the father, and the husband he is known to be and, behind the scenes, so truly is. Over the years, the Vice President continued to be a consistently positive presence in the stressful environs of the White House and I get to see him almost every day. When Joe moved to Washington, D.C. in 2015, one of my first and most meaningful introductions made at work was to the Vice President. Later, after Joe proposed, we knew we wanted a modest and personal ceremony. It didn&amp;#039;t have to be lengthy or extravagant\u2014just sentimental to us\u2014so when a good friend suggested the Vice President, we chuckled and raised our eyebrows with interest at the same time. Shortly thereafter, I asked the Vice President&amp;#039;s personal aide, in passing, if he might be interested. Within a day, he had heard of the idea and loved it. Of course, we needed to ensure that he could obtain the certification and that, in the midst of helping to run the country, he had time. Ultimately, it was the Vice President&amp;#039;s own generosity and persistence that led it to fruition. What about the ceremony sticks in your memory the most? Brian: Standing in front of my family with the man whom I love\u2014a moment in a setting I never thought possible. Joe: Everyone in the room\u2014parents, friends, staff, and the Vice President of the United States\u2014were so caring and welcoming.      Proud to marry Brian and Joe at my house. Couldn&amp;#039;t be happier, two longtime White House staffers, two great guys. pic.twitter.com/0om1PT7bKh \u2014 Vice President Biden (@VP) August 1, 2016    How did last year&amp;#039;s SCOTUS ruling on same sex marriage affect your plans? Brian: I don&amp;#039;t think we would have been married. I personally didn&amp;#039;t want to marry until it was nationally recognized. Marriage represents such an indissoluble commitment, and I didn&amp;#039;t feel appropriate to enter into a partnership if it weren&amp;#039;t permanent no matter where we went or lived. It&amp;#039;s a very charged political climate right now, what with the conventions and upcoming election. How did that affect your wedding day? Brian: The political environment, zealous partisanship, and working in the White House teaches you that there are undulations in and out of the election season. Having witnessed so many ups and downs over the years, I know there are certain things that transcend the news cycle. Like equality, kindness, and love. So, no, our nuptials were immune to what&amp;#039;s going on there. Have you had a second to relax or honeymoon since?  Brian: No. We were actually at the White House by 7:45 a.m. the next morning. We had the Official Visit and State Dinner for the Prime Minister of Singapore, and it was the usual 15-hour day! Joe: As we all know, the First Lady doesn&amp;#039;t stop moving. I had a briefing with her less than 24 hours later. Perhaps there will be a week at the end of January 2017 when we can relax before the next chapter in our life.      Love is love! \u2014Jill https://t.co/xDrz2m9qf2 \u2014 Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) August 2, 2016    Did it feel like a political statement to have your wedding in the Bidens&amp;#039; home, officiated by the Vice President?  Brian: I&amp;#039;m sure many could interpret such a ceremony as a political statement, but sharing love with the blessing of great leaders and in the presence of family is a place into which I would never allow politics to enter. Joe: No! What made our wedding day so special was how &amp;quot;normal&amp;quot; it felt. Midway through the ceremony in the living room, the Vice President had to hush some commotion upstairs. We weren&amp;#039;t in a caucus chamber, we were in a home. Exactly the kind of home we hope to build.  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<http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/sex/news/a47493/biden-officiates-first-gay-wedding/>