Same-sex couples ready to wed in Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 16 (UPI) -- Same-sex couples in California started getting married Monday evening as soon as the state Supreme Court ruling legalizing such unions took effect.

In San Francisco's City Hall, Mayor Gavin Newsom officiated over the city's first same-sex wedding sanctioned by the court, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. About 50 family and friends witnessed Newsom declare longtime lesbian activists Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, who have been partners for five decades and who also were married four years ago when the mayor ordered the county clerk to issue marriage certificates to gay and lesbian partners, spouses for life.

"This is an extraordinary moment in history and extraordinary moment in time," said Newsom. "They are extraordinary people who have lived extraordinary lives and spent half a century fighting for justice and equality."

Lyon, 83, called it "a wonderful day."

"Ditto," said Martin, who is four years younger than Lyon.

The ruling became effective at 5:01 p.m. PDT Monday after most county clerks offices close but employees in at least five counties said they would stay open late to accommodate same-sex couples, CNN reported. Clerks informed the network they expected a larger number of couples to visit their offices Tuesday to complete marriage license applications that replace "Bride" and "Groom" with "Partner A" and "Partner B."

In Alameda County, Kenny Latham, 47, and Keith Boadwee, 46, of Emoryville wore pink peonies in their lapels as they became the first gay couple in that county to marry. In Sonoma County, it was Mark Gren, 42 and Chris Lechman, 37, of Guerneville, who applied for a marriage license at 5:01 p.m. And in Los Angeles County, lesbian couple Robin Tyler and Diane Olson -- plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the high court's May 15 decision -- wore white suits to tie the knot in a traditional Jewish ceremony.