PHOTOS: A Day for History in Washington

Terry Miller and Dan Savage get their marriage license in Washington.

Among the first round of couples to get their marriage licenses as soon as allowed by Washington State are Dan Savage and Terry Miller.

The founders of the It Gets Better campaign were married in Canada in 2005 and had said they spent thousands on legal work needed to secure some of the rights afforded married couples, including living wills and power of attorney. But for the first time they were able to take a real step toward marriage in their home state.

State law requires a three-day waiting period from getting a license and having a ceremony, so the first day same-sex couples can actually be wed is Sunday.

Savage said "I wouldn't have believed you" if told as a kid that this day could come. “It’s really a remarkable journey we’ve been on and such a remarkable sea change,” said Savage in a video from the Seattle P-I. “And not just for gay people, but straight people have changed, too. It’s gotten better for us because straight people have gotten better about us. And that's the difference, and gay people made that happen. We came out.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the first marriage license in King County was issued at 12:01 a.m. to Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen. It was one of two counties, the other being Thurston County, that stayed open to make history.

See photos and video of couples getting their marriage licenses on the following pages.