Expecting Overload on Day 1 of Gay Marriage, City Sets 764-Wedding Limit

[w8liftinglady]

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/expecting-overload-city-caps-gay-weddings-at-764-for-day-1/

Updated, 2:50 p.m. | Demand for same-sex marriage in New York is so great that the city has decided to cap at 764 the number of couples who can be wed at clerks’ offices on Sunday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said on Tuesday.

Mr. Bloomberg said the city would hold a lottery to determine which couples, gay or straight, will be allowed to marry at the five borough clerks’ offices. Sunday is likely to break the single-day record for marriages performed by the city, which currently stands at 621.

The city said it was imposing the cap in an effort to avoid chaos on Sunday. The clerk’s office has already received 2,661 applications for licenses since it started accepting online applications from same-sex couples. City officials estimated that 1,728 of those applications were from same-sex couples. Most couples do not apply online for licenses before showing up at a clerk’s office, so the number seeking to marry on Sunday would probably be much higher.

“The last thing we want is for couples to wait on line for hours and hours, only to walk away upset on what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives,” Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement. “The fairest way to determine who gets the chance to wed on Sunday and ensure everyone can properly plan for their own big day is through an evenhanded lottery system.”

[beyurslf]

1. Fair enough, But I think couples who have been together, say maybe, 2 decades

or more, should get first priority. They've waited long enough and a couple more days won't hurt the others. :)