Legalization of same-sex marriage comes into effect in New York

Marriage bureaus in the state of New York were in high demand Sunday, as hundreds of gay and lesbian couples lined up on the first day the legalization of same-sex marriage came into effect in the state.

Two grandmothers were the first same-sex couple to be legally wed in the state. The couple said their vows against the backdrop of the Niagara Falls in western New York.

Officials initially set a cap of 764 couples in expectation of a flood of requests. They later accepted all 823 couples.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks the passage will boost momentum for the marriage equality movement in other states.

New York is the sixth U.S. state to legalize gay marriage. Four states have approved gay civil unions, while same-sex marriage is specifically banned in 39 states.