SOUTH CAROLINA: First Gay Wedding Takes Place After Judge Issues Licenses

Via the Charleston Fox affiliate:

A Charleston County judge has issued South Carolina's first same-sex marriage license. Charleston County councilwoman Colleen Condon and her fiance, Nichols Bleckley, were the first in line Wednesday morning to receive their marriage license. They were the first couple to have their application for a marriage license accepted in Charleston County last month. "I do hope that every parent, teacher takes a moment today to explain to kids what's going on and how historic this moment is," said Bleckley. "We knew this was never about just the two of us," said Condon. "We wanted it for us, but we knew that we were a part of hundreds, thousands in South Carolina who were ready to get married right away." One same-sex couple did just that after receiving their marriage license Wednesday morning. Kayla Bennett and Kristin Anderson [below] held their marriage ceremony right outside the Charleston County Probate Court. It was the state's first officially recognized same-sex wedding. Attorney John Nichols says Judge Irvin Condon will be issuing the licenses to the couples who applied before Condon was ordered to stop issuing licenses on Oct. 9.

Condon and Bleckley were the plaintiffs in the case that overturned South Carolina's ban. Judge Irvin Condon is a distant cousin to Colleen Condon.