Daniel Carroll and Dayvin Bartolome stood on the steps of the marriage license bureau in Las Vegas and researched where they might tie the knot after being together for 14 years.
They ran through the options and joked about whether an Elvis Presley or Celine Dion impersonator would be available to perform the ceremony.
In the end, they settled on a location up the street whose quickie wedding offerings include drive-up, chapel and terrace ceremonies. Less than three hours later, they held hands in front of a lighted gazebo at the Vegas Weddings chapel as the officiant declared, "I hereby pronounce you husband and husband."
Carroll and Bartolome were among the first gay couples to wed in Las Vegas on Thursday as same-sex marriages arrived in the self-described wedding capital of the world. A Supreme Court decision Monday that denied appeals from several states effectively made gay marriage legal in some 30 states, including Nevada.
About 10 same-sex couples were waiting in line at the Clark County clerk's as the announcement came shortly after 5 p.m. that gay marriage licenses would be issued, eliciting cheers and tears of joy from the crowd. About three dozen licenses had been issued by the end of the day in the county.
"It's amazing. This is it," Theo Small said as he stood next to his partner, Antioco Carillo, and looked down at their marriage license, the first issued in Las Vegas.
"We're walking on clouds," Carillo said. "This is unreal."
Opponents have continued to push back against gay marriage, saying such unions are unconstitutional. Days of weddings, court decisions and confusion have followed the high court ruling.
West Virginia officials began issuing gay marriage licenses Thursday, prompting further frustration in Nevada.
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