Hundreds - if not thousands - of same sex couples are expected to be married in California over the next few days, with the marriages becoming legal.
The first marriage licences are to be issued in a handful of districts from around 10 o'clock this morning (AEST) before an expected state-wide stampede by thousands of couples gets underway tomorrow.
The legalisation of same-sex marriage in California is expected to create a mini-industry worth several hundred million dollars, as couples flock to the state from around the country to tie the knot.
San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome will personally preside at the wedding of two women in their 80s.
“The march of equality which needs to include everybody equally and fairly is here at least in California, but that I recognise does not exists in 41 other states, so it means we’ve got a lot of work to do.”