12 Moments From England's Legalization of Gay Marriage

 By 
Neha Prakash
 on 
12 Moments From England's Legalization of Gay Marriage
Sean Adl-Tabatabai (left) and Sinclair Treadway kiss after they were announced officially married in London, on March 29, 2014. Credit: Matt Dunham

Gay marriage in England and Wales became legal at the stroke of midnight on Saturday. Several same-sex couples flocked to court houses to wed minutes after the gay-marriage ban was lifted.

British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted a congratulatory message to all the newly married couples, dubbing it a "historic day."

Congratulations to the gay couples who have already been married - and my best wishes to those about to be on this historic day.— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 29, 2014

Two-thirds of people in the UK support the right to gay marriage, the Associated Press reported, adding that the move was "welcomed with enthusiasm by Britain's Conservative-led government."

Since 2005, gay couples in England and Wales have been allowed to enter “civil partnerships," and received the same legal protections and rights as heterosexual married couples, the AP said.

Check out our gallery, below, which features some of the first same-sex couples to walk down the aisle across England:

[nggallery id="15689" layout="list" title="top"]

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