In June, Germany became the 15th European country to grant same-sex couples the right to marry, after a swift vote in Parliament that followed a brief but emotional debate. A previous German law had allowed civil unions between same-sex couples since 2001, but those unions did not offer couples the same legal rights and were considered by many to be a second-class form of marriage.

Across the country, city halls that are normally closed on the weekend opened their doors to allow marriages on the first day the law took effect. Dozens of couples were expected to exchange vows in Berlin, as well as in Cologne, Hamburg, Hanover and Kiel on Sunday and the days beyond.

Gordon Holland, a registrar in Schöneberg, said, “We’re making a single exception to fire a symbolic starter pistol because same-sex marriages are possible from today,” according to The Associated Press.

Mr. Holland said it was appropriate for the district to hold the first same-sex wedding in the country because it had long been a center of gay life in the German capital.