More than 140 couples have registered to marry at City Hall on December 9, the first day that all couples will be free to legally marry in Washington state. As we announced here on Slog...

On December 6, same-sex couples will finally be able to apply for marriage licenses for the first time in state history, which means that couples itching to get hitched can start holding ceremonies on Dec. 9. City officials are marking this milestone by turning City Hall's immense and lovely lobby into a series of intimate wedding nooks! BUT: In order to be married at City Hall, couples must 1) get a marriage license on Dec. 6 and 2) RSVP here with their names, number of guests, and any special accommodations they might need. Today the city launched a handy FAQ sheet filled with information on the Dec. 9 ceremonies, which I hear are booking up fast.

All the available slots did book up quickly. Mayor McGinn and his team and the judges who are donating their time—all of whom have been wonderful—extended the hours, making more wedding slots available. All of those additional slots quickly filled up. You know me, Slog. I'm not prone to gushing. But I gotta say: All the folks at the city and all of the judges have been wonderful and accommodating and open. I can't thank them enough. But I want to extend a special thanks to Mayor McGinn. The mayor embraced the idea when I proposed it to him—he didn't even mind that I'd scammed his personal cell number from a friend-of-a-friend-of-the-mayor and called him on a Sunday night—and the mayor quickly got everyone at City Hall working together to pull this celebration together. So on behalf of all of the couples planning to marry at City Hall on this Sunday: Thank you, Mike.

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Also working hard to make Sunday happen: Jen Zeyl and her team of artists and scene designers. Cienna:

Another word on those intimate, artsy wedding spots: Dan Savage—whose idea this whole thing was—and Tim Keck—whose idea the whole "Dan Savage" thing was—have each donated $1,000 to help local artists, led by Jen Zeyl, create a beautiful wedding atmosphere inside city hall. But we need to raise $5,000 total to finance the installation. A lot of materials and labor are being donated, but some things must be paid for. City officials, judges, and others are donating their time. What can you do? You can help make the day a beautiful one by donating right here.

Jen and her team are busily preparing to move in and quickly transform City Hall on Saturday night so that everyone is ready by 10 AM Sunday morning. There are other wedding events in Seattle on December 9, but most seem to be charging the couples who want to marry. This event—thanks to the mayor, his team, the judges, Jen Zeyl and her crew, folks at the Stranger (Carey, Tone, Renee, Tim, Laurie, et al), and everyone who has donated—is the only one I know about that is completely free for the couples getting married. We've almost reached our fundraising goal to help cover expenses. Please consider kicking in a few bucks to help make City Hall—and the day—beautiful for all the lucky couples planning to marry.






Thanks!