Small Crowds, Big Love in East L.A.

The line to wed at the East Los Angeles County Courthouse isn't a long one, but it's a good-natured one. City Council member Eric Garcetti is officiating (as acting mayor, he's subbing for Antonio Villaraigosa while the latter is in Israel) and he's all too happy to marry Shane Goldsmith and Monica Granados, both 31. The two women work for Garcetti -- in fact, he performed a civil ceremony for them in 2006. "It was amazing, but we knew [then] that there was something missing," says Goldsmith. As brother Kelly Goldsmith looked on while his sister wed, he became choked up. "I'm actually at a loss for words," he said.

Karen Shun and Sami Reed had been together for over two years and were planning a domestic partnership ceremony when the court laid down its landmark ruling; now their September 20 ceremony will be a full-blown wedding. As they picked up their marriage license, Reed beamed at the piece of paper. "There's definitely something great about it," she said, her voice then halting as she brought up the same-sex marriage ban pending on the ballot this winter. "But there's a chance it could be taken away in November. Everybody needs to get out and vote."

Supervising clerk Lourdes Ninette Aguilar was expecting more of a crowd this morning -- in fact, she's begun calling other county courthouses, suggesting they send people over if their lines are too long. Aguilar started the momentous day with a computer crash, but when she was able to bring her system back online, she married two men, then two women. Despite the fact that she says she's just doing her job, Aguilar admits she felt something special with both couples. "I got really touched," she says. "I was really emotional with them."

For more marriage coverage, go to Advocate.com.