On December 6, same-sex couples will be able to apply for marriage licenses for the first time in state history (finally!). State law mandates a three-day waiting period between when you get your license and when you can get married, which means couples itching to get hitched can start holding ceremonies on December 9. And city officials are marking that historic date by turning City Hall's immense and lovely lobby into a series of intimate wedding nooks.

But! Due to overwhelming demand and the constraints of space and time, the city asked people to RSVP for December 9 City Hall weddings in advance, and there are no more spots left. The city is no longer accepting RSVPs. The website states: "If we have cancellations or no-shows, we may be able to serve a few people who walk in without an RSVP. But we can't make any guarantees, so it might be wise to make other plans. If you'd like to wait on standby, feel free to come down to City Hall between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and join the celebration." (The celebrations will continue at Q nightclub and elsewhere later that night, and there are other places to get married en masse this week­—click here for locations plus a calendar of wedding parties.)

Marriage licenses are issued at the Recorder's Office in the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Avenue. For the first three days under the new rules, the office will be open extended hours: Thursday, December 6, from 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday, December 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, December 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, go to seattle.gov/wedding. recommended