NYC Clerk Offices Extend Hours for Gay Marriages

Same-sex marriages will become legal in New York on July 24—but though that's a Sunday, clerk offices in New York City will be open for a full business day to accommodate couples. In addition, offices in all five boroughs will remain open for at least two additional hours during the following Monday through Friday, Bloomberg reports. Beginning on July 24, state judges will also volunteer to perform marriage ceremonies and review requests to waive the state's 24-hour marriage waiting period.

“This is a historic moment for New York, a moment many couples have waited years and even decades to see—and we are not going to make them wait one day longer than they have to,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a statement. A deluge of couples is expected, with New York City looking to market itself as a wedding destination for same-sex couples. During the week ending July 5, the city clerk had gotten 20% more marriage license applications than during the same period a week prior. (Click to see what was wrong with those applications.)