Washington state kicks off day of same sex marriages with midnight ceremonies
A great day for marriage equality!!!
Towns and cities across Washington awoke to the sound of wedding bells Sunday morning as hundreds of same-sex couples prepared to tie the knot on the first day they were legally allowed to marry in the state.
Some 140 gay and lesbian weddings were scheduled at Seattle City Hall; meanwhile the First Baptist Church was expecting to marry some 50 couples during a joint ceremony. Though gay marriage became legal on Thursday in Washington, the state requires a three-day waiting period before the actual ceremony is celebrated.
The first wedding to take place in the state occurred minutes after midnight on Sunday morning when Emily and Sarah Cofer tied the knot. Both primary school teachers from Arlington, outside Seattle, they came together in the chambers of a Seattle judge, Mary Yu, who officiated weddings straight through to 7.30am.
A great day for marriage equality!!!