Maine Marriages Start Tomorrow

Same-sex marriages commence in Maine tomorrow and Portland City Hall is bracing for a rush after midnight tonight.

"We're prepared for pretty much any kind of crowd we could get," said Chris Farwell, a city event coordinator who is responsible for logistics on Saturday. Portland is one of a handful of communities in Maine that plan special office hours Saturday, the first day that same-sex couples can be married under a new state law. Falmouth will also open just after midnight, while communities including Augusta and Brunswick will open their offices at 9 a.m. For groups and families who plan to be at Portland City Hall on Friday night and early Saturday morning, city officials are arranging varying levels of access. Only couples, their immediate families and a limited number of guests will be allowed inside the building, and only the couples themselves will be allowed to wait in line for marriage certificates. Families will be directed to adjacent lobbies and rooms, Farwell said.

One minister will park his RV outside of city hall to accommodate the overflow. Anybody inside city hall by 3AM tonight will be allowed to marry before the building closes.