Two women were the first to marry
Sunday under Washington state's new gay marriage law.
Sarah and Emily Cofer were pronounced
“legally wed” by King County Superior Court Judge Mary Yu at
12:04 Sunday Morning, three days after the law went into effect.
The Cofers' ceremony was the start of
hundreds taking place as Washington's three-day waiting period for
marriages expired. As of Saturday, King County officials said they
had issued 489 marriage licenses.
Yu is among seven judges who
volunteered to open their courtrooms to accommodate the overflow of
couples wanting to marry on the first day marriages could take place.
Seattle City Hall will open at 10AM to marry 140 couples. The
state's first church weddings will take place at 3PM in Seattle's
First Baptist Church, where 50 gay couples plan to exchange vows.
“We never thought we'd be a part of
history,” Sarah, a 31-year-old third-grade teacher on maternity
leave, is quoted as saying by USA Today.
Emily, 32, is also a third-grade
teacher. The couple, which held a commitment ceremony in 2010,
welcomed daughter Carter nine months ago.