I saw the news on Twitter this morning as I sat in traffic at a notoriously long light near the Austin Monthly offices on 360. “BREAKING: Supreme Court says same-sex couples have right to marry in all 50 states.”

BREAKING: Supreme Court says same-sex couples have right to marry in all 50 states. — The Associated Press (@AP) June 26, 2015

Tears immediately started flowing as I texted my friend Justin Ables-Hensel. He had a wedding ceremony with his husband, Will, last September in Dallas and had been anxiously watching the news for the moment when the Supreme Court announced its ruling on same-sex marriage. As we all know by now, the justices ruled in favor of marriage equality in all 50 states.

He texted back promptly. “We’re going at 1 p.m! Wanna be our witness?”

How could a gal pass up such an invitation?

Shortly after the announcement was made, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir alerted the public that Travis County would start issuing licenses, much to the chagrin of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who previously warned counties to give the state some time to investigate the law before issuing licenses. While Travis County threw caution to the wind and opened up shop to same-sex couples, both Williamson and Hays Counties announced that they would not be handing out any slips of paper today.

We made our way to the Travis County Tax Office on Airport Boulevard around 1:30 p.m., where a throng of well-wishers were congregating under the entrance’s awning. Women, men and children alike were dressed in rainbow colors and cheering. One lady even had Champagne in a cooler. For every couple exiting the building, the crowd would applaud and throw rose petals on the happy couple.

There would be an egregious amount of clapping and cheering throughout the day.

Justin, Will, several friends and I entered the building. Because of the sheer number of couples and families waiting, the office opened its training room, where dozens of chairs were situated, and a line snaked out the door.

While most couples were extremely casually attired, Justin chose to get decked out in the suit he wore to his wedding in the fall, while Will was comically dressed in a Battlestar Galactica uniform. “I had this in my car, just in case!” he joked.

Several volunteers explained the two different marriage licenses: informal and formal. Basically, an informal marriage meant that a couple would have a “common-law marriage,” in which the parties agree to be married, live together and represent to others that they are married. A formal marriage license comes with the stipulation of a three-day waiting period before couples can get married, unless you have a judge sign a waiver. Plenty of couples were ready to walk out of the Travis County Tax Office as legally wedded spouses and went the informal route to do so.

Justin and Will deliberated while we waited for hours. Ron Morgan, the chief deputy, came to speak to the crowd several times, begging the group to remain patient. “I know it’s been a long wait for some of you,” he said. “We’ve been looking forward to this day for decades, and we’re glad to have you in our house.”

And so we were patient. Only small children who were accompanying their parents to sign their documents seemed to grow fatigued and weary. Every number that was called out elicited cheers from the group. Every number meant one more couple would be making history today. Every number meant one more couple that wouldn’t have to wait any longer.

Morgan announced that, as of 1:30 p.m., 84 couples had been issued licenses. Only 14 couples were granted marriage certificates the day before, indicating the sheer size of the momentous occasion.

At one point, a pastor with a clipboard and notepad tried to make his way into the building, only to be turned away from a guard. “If you don’t have any official business in there, you can’t be here,” he said.

Later in the day, two female officiants came into the room. Morgan took them outside for a brief moment. Upon his return, he informed the group that ceremonies cannot take place inside the building, but, “as we found out in February, outside makes a beautiful spot to get married.”

One couple that already had a signed waiver took the officiant up on her offer. “We don’t want to wait another day!” one exclaimed. I headed outside to catch history in the making. I did not wake up this morning thinking I would be a guest at a wedding, but now I was standing across from the Lammes Candies sign as two women married each other. There were tears all around, as I faintly heard a motorist driving by shout, “You’re all going to hell!” If anyone else heard the crude comment, no one acknowledged it.

He was the lone naysayer throughout the day. Positivity, happiness and a strong bond permeated through the whole (lengthy) process.

The officiant, who politely requested to not be named, said she was afraid of the repercussions her denomination might bestow on her. “But, I just knew I had to be here today,” she said.

At one point in the afternoon, an announcement was made. Judge Gisela D. Triana at the Travis County Courthouse downtown had agreed to sign waivers so that couples did not have to wait the three days. They have waited long enough. While one judge would sign waivers, another judge was on hand to officiate weddings to legally marry couples today. More cheers ensued.

Finally, Justin and Will’s number was called. The room roared as they stood up and kissed. A mere 10 minutes later, they had a marriage license and waiver in hand, and we headed outside, where the crowd showered them with rice, necklaces and wedding presents.

We drove to the courthouse downtown at 4 p.m. There, we were greeted by more well-wishers, giving flowers to the happy couples. Luckily, Will and Justin’s officiant from their fall wedding had arrived, so they didn’t need a judge to marry them. We head up to Judge Triana’s chambers to get the waiver signed. The clerk commented on Will’s “Star Wars” outfit and then left to get the judge. “We wanted to make sure judges were available so that people don’t have to continue to wait,” he said.

After a very short but official process where the judge spoke to the couple, she signed the waiver and happily posed for photos. “I thought you were a bellhop!” she laughed. “This is just so exciting.” The friends who had been there for both Justin and Will—not only today but throughout their relationship—stood up and clapped.

“It’s just a waiver,” Judge Triana shrugged. Funnily enough, it is just a waiver, but it is a waiver that granted my two friends the ability to legally sign their marriage license and officially become husbands.

After such a long day full of both hugs and tears, the two ultimately decided to have another ceremony later tonight so that many more of their loved ones could witness the beginning of their sanctioned-by-the-government marriage.

As of 7:30 p.m., Travis County had issued 251 marriage licenses.

UPDATE:

Justin and Will were surrounded by the same loved ones who witnesses their first wedding last fall at King Bee on Friday night as they signed their marriage license and said "I do" for the second time. They even shared a first dance and received another hearty round of celebratory cheers as their marriage finally became legal and recognized by the state.

By the end of the day Friday, 313 couples had received their licenses.