Your Guide to Getting Gay Married Next Week

Wahoo! Same-sex marriage will officially become possible in Washington next Thursday, December 6th. Readers lucky enough to reside in America's Vancouver can apply that day for a marriage license at the Clark County clerk's office . Portlanders who are still denied equal rights can't get hitched in Vancouver (well, youand be recognized as married in Washington, but the legality will dissolve as you cross the river home), but all friends and allies can pitch in to help make the event special for people who've waited a long time to get married.

Here are the details:

• The first day you can apply for a marriage license is December 6th. But it takes three days to process the license, so the first day you can actually have your legal ceremony is December 9th.

• The Clark County clerk's office will have extended hours all weekend long to accommodate the 1,500 couples expected to immediately apply for licenses. The office will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 6, also be open on Saturday, possibly from noon to 5 p.m. It may also be open on Sunday from noon to 5 pm. If it's easier, you can also pre-register online for wedding licenses starting at midnight on Dec. 6.

• Washington state is scrambling to rewrite its marriage forms to make them gender neutral. The Clark County clerk's office has said it will bust out the White Out if necessary, so applicants don't have to decide who's the "groom" and "bride."

• You have to pay cash for a marriage license, it's $64.

• Equality SW Washington is looking for volunteers to help out at the courthouse during the weekend, all the way from December 6th through 12th. The need volunteers to help manage lines, explain forms, make things festive, and hand out SNACKS! . Get in touch with them via Facebook if you want to sign up for a shift.

• Don't forget the gay bouquet.

If you want to get married in Seattle, instead, their city hall is planning a big shebang—here's all the info. Hey, looks like there's a massive sale on train tickets to Seattle, too.