Matt Hurwitz and Bruce Walter
San Francisco, Calif.

Four months after the Supreme Court overturned DOMA and granted married couples access to more than 1,000 spousal benefits, Hurwitz and Walter tied the knot.

Since the two have similar incomes, they actually owed a bit more when filing their taxes jointly this year. But they say it's worth it just to have the assurance of medical and inheritance rights, as well as survivors' benefits in case something were to happen to one of them.

After getting hitched, they immediately started their estate and trust planning and merged all of their accounts and assets -- making each other full beneficiaries.

Here's where Hurwitz and Walter were a year ago

The biggest change hasn't been financial, however.

"The most important difference has been in how both fans and foes of gay marriage now interact with us," said Walter. "Whether someone 'believes' in gay marriage or not, they have to acknowledge us as legally married. We no longer have to explain what our relationship is. We can use a common word that everyone understands to mean love, commitment, financial unity, and obligations between two people."