Gay couples in NYC lottery get the chance to wed Sunday

First the good news: All same-sex couples who entered a lottery to get married on Sunday will get the chance to tie the knot on that historic day.

Now here's the rub: Some of those who want to get hitched in Manhattan will have to settle for an outer borough.

No matter what, anticipation over the start of gay weddings is growing across town, with the city selling official same-sex wedding souvenirs: “We Do” mugs featuring two grooms or two brides ($12.50) and bottle stoppers topped with a gay couple ($16), available at the City Store and the City Clerk’s Office as well as at nyc.gov/citystore. The city is also selling flower bouqets.

City officials are expecting to break the record for the most legal weddings held in the city in a single day, having received 823 applications for 764 slots across the five boroughs.

The most requests came from couples who want to marry in Manhattan, so the city increased the slots in that borough from 400 to 459.

But couples who want Manhattan and don’t make the cut will still be allowed to marry in one of the outer boroughs. Manhattan hopefuls will find out their fate by Friday.

But the news that couples looking to marry in the outer boroughs are automatically accepted received a ringing endorsement from lovebirds.

“I’m actually in shock. This is a great joy to hear this,” said Maria Romagnuolo, 50, of Staten Island, after learning she’ll get to wed her longtime domestic partner, Wendy Bloom-Romagnuolo, on Sunday.