BOSTON -- Gay couples around Massachusetts are exchanging vows Monday, marking the first time a state has granted same-sex couples the right to marry.

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MARRIAGE IN MASSACHUSETTS Cambridge Scene Boston Scene

At 9:15 a.m. local time, two of the first people to tie the knot were Tanya McCloskey and Marcia Kadish of Malden, Mass. They took the plunge after getting a waiver from the normal three-day waiting period and then saying "I do" under the watchful gaze of the Cambridge city clerk.

The pair, who have been together for 18 years, had been at the city hall when it opened at midnight and filled out the necessary paperwork for a marriage license.

Similar ceremonies are being held throughout the state Monday.

It all became possible when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of gay couples.

It makes Massachusetts the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex unions and the United States just one of four countries in the world where homosexuals can legally marry. The Netherlands, Belgium and three provinces in Canada also permit gay marriages.

What began as a giant block party of 5,000 people crowded outside Cambridge City Hall spread across Massachusetts.

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Just after midnight Monday morning, lesbian couple Marcia Hams, 56, and Susan Shepherd, 52, of Cambridge, passed through a media gauntlet to become the first gay couple to apply for a marriage license in Massachusetts. They had waited 24 hours outside the building to be the first in line.

The couple, who have been together 27 years, swore before the city clerk that there was no legal impediment to their marriage as dozens of cameras recorded the moment, and their adult son looked on. They then emerged to a crush of more media and gay rights supporters, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.

"When the (Supreme Judicial Court) decision came through, it was a beautiful decision that just meant so much to our family and to so many others," said Hams.

"All these people here are all, like, living their lives, and congratulations to them too," said Shepherd.

The atmosphere is festive -- complete with a giant wedding cake.

Shepherd said gay marriages are a matter of respect. She told NBC's "Today" show Monday that marriage is the way relationships are respected in our society.

Hams said a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage would be a "travesty."

Joan and Kim Williams arrived early in the Massachusetts college town of Northampton to apply for a marriage license. Joan said years from now, what's now considered to be a big deal will be an everyday occurrence.

Not Everyone Celebrating

Mixed among the throng of couples awaiting licenses, small groups of protesters have gathered near city halls, making it clear they won't accept gay marriage, even if it is legal.

"We needed to be here to remind them that there is a God, and that there is a day of judgment, and that it's not OK to be gay," said Shirley Phelts-Roper, who protested Monday in Cambridge.

"This is not a legitimate form of marriage. There is nothing for anyone to be jubilant about," said a woman protesting outside Boston City Hall.

But one opponent, Ray McNulty of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said there's no need for hateful speech right now. McNulty said the marriages are legal, and this is the time to give people "their happiness for the day."

The Massachusetts Family Institute is one of the leading groups opposed to same-sex marriage.

Despite the current atmosphere of celebration, some gay couples worry their happiness will be short-lived.

As one same-sex partner put it, "Somewhere, someone's working really hard to find that loophole" to thwart the law.

As a result, some couples are trying to leapfrog the state's three-day waiting period by asking a judge to allow them to tie the knot later today. Such a request is routine and is rarely turned down.

Bush Renews Call For Amendment Barring Gay Marriage

As Massachusetts began issuing wedding licenses to same-sex couples Monday, President George W. Bush renewed his call for a constitutional amendment barring gay marriages.

In a written statement issued as he flew to Kansas, the president declared, "The sacred institution of marriage should not be redefined by a few activist judges."

Bush noted he proposed an amendment some time ago that would define marriage as only between a man and a woman.

"The need for that amendment is still urgent, and I repeat that call today," he said in the statement.

Although Bush has not actively lobbied lawmakers to pass an amendment and send it to the states, spokesman Scott McClellan insists the administration has remained "in close contact" with congressional leaders.

Original Gay Marriage Plaintiffs Celebrate

The couple who filed the original lawsuit that led to the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts are celebrating Monday. Their lawsuit, filed with six other couples, sparked the state Supreme Judicial Court's 4-3 ruling last fall that gay marriages should be legal under the state constitution.

Hillary and Julie Goodrich were up before dawn, and their Boston home quickly began filling with reporters and camera crews.

The two walked hand-in-hand into Boston City Hall Monday morning to apply for their marriage license. They had been turned away there three years ago, which marked the beginning of the case.

Along with their 8-year-old daughter, Annie, the Goodriches were greeted warmly by Mayor Tom Menino as they filled out a marriage application. Then it was on to a nearby courthouse to get a waiver that will allow them to skip the normal three-day waiting period.

The Goodriches formally tie the knot this afternoon at the Unitarian Universalist Association of Boston. Annie will fill double duty as flower girl and ring bearer.

"By 2 p.m. today, we will become next of kin. We've never had a legal relationship to each other even though we've had wills and powers of attorney and health care proxies," Goodrich said.

The other couples who joined the suit filed three years ago also married Monday, including David Wilson and Robert Compton.

"We just started off as a couple looking to protect each others' rights, and all of a sudden, we're at the forefront of such a change," said Wilson.

The pair exchanged vows beneath a rainbow flag at the Arlington Street Church in Boston's Back Bay section. The Boston Gay Men's Chorus sang "Marry Us" during the ceremony. It also included the reading of an excerpt from the state Supreme Judicial Court decision that allowed same-sex marriages in Massachusetts.

Debate Continues Among Lawmakers, Citizens

The Massachusetts law is stirring gay marriage debates across the country.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said that he stands firm on his feelings about same-sex marriage.

"All along, I have said an issue as fundamental to society as the definition of marriage should be decided by the people. Until then, I intend to follow the law and expect others to do the same," Romney said in a statement.

The House sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment said gay and lesbian weddings aren't real marriages.

At a subcommittee hearing last week, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave said that given God's created order, "In a very real sense, it is impossible for a man to marry a man, or a woman to marry a woman." But she said it will take a constitutional amendment to stop judges from forcing Americans to treat gay marriages as if they're real.

Rep. Barney Frank disagreed, predicting that homosexual marriage won't be imposed on anyone and will soon become as routine and "boring" as civil unions in Vermont.

But retired Judge Robert Bork predicted that within the next few years, the U.S. Supreme Court will find a previously undiscovered right to homosexual marriage in the Constitution.

Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund vowed that his group will keep challenging gay marriage efforts around the country. He called the marriages "an attack on something that's been a consensus of world culture since the dawn of time."

Mass. Town Marrying Out-Of-State Couples

Same-sex couples from around the country have gone to the center of the gay and lesbian lifestyle on Cape Cod to take advantage of their right to marry.

Officials in Provincetown, Mass., are defying the wishes of Gov. Mitt Romney and allowing people from all over to marry. Romney has urged local officials to heed an old state law that prohibits anyone from out of state from marrying unless their marriage is also considered legal in their home state.

In Provincetown Monday morning, each new couple exiting town hall was greeted with loud applause and handed a bouquet of roses.

The first couple in line was Chris McCary and John Sullivan of Anniston, Ala. McCary said he's finally able to marry the man he loves.

Among the first couples to marry in the Cape Cod community were John Yarbrough and his longtime partner, Cody Rogahn, from Minnesota.

Cheryl Andrews, the chairwoman of the city's board of selectman, was able to watch the constant stream of same-sex couples celebrating Monday. She'll also be getting married on Thursday to her longtime partner.