The city of West Hollywood is ushering in a new Summer of Love by offering free gay marriage ceremonies Monday.
To celebrate the 9th Circuit Appeals Court's Friday decision to lift its stay on same-sex marriage, the city is offering free marriage ceremonies on a first-come, first-serve basis from 1 to 7 p.m. only on Monday in the West Hollywood City Council Chambers.
Before the ceremony, couples must have a license issued by the LA County Registrar-Recorder. Couples can go to any County branch Monday at 8 a.m. to get a same-day license and, while they still need to appear in person, can submit license information online ahead of time to speed up the process. Click here for detailed information about the marriage license and civil ceremony process.
West Hollywood is offering free parking at the city's garage and free shuttle service to the closest County branch, which is the Beverly Hills courthouse. The shuttle runs from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Beverly Hills registrar-recorder's office will issue licenses from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More than 500 LA couples have applied for marriage licenses online since Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Other local cities, in addition to West Hollywood, are extending hours and services to meet the new demand. The Norwalk Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk will be open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and the city of Long Beach is also offering civil marriage ceremonies Monday, the Times reports.
West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem John D'Amico told ABC that West Hollywood's free gay marriage ceremonies are to show "Los Angeles County, the state of California, the whole country, that West Hollywood is a place that is safe for gay and lesbian couples to come and get married."
UPDATE: Couples who missed out on Monday have a second chance!
The City of West Hollywood is offering another round of free wedding ceremonies on a first-come, first-served basis Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Hollywood Park, City Council Chambers.
Check out the city's site for more information.
Planning a wedding ceremony? Check out some of Discover Los Angeles' favorite venues around the city:
