A same-sex couple in Dundee have become the first to tie the knot in Scotland after new legislation came into force.
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act was passed in February and as of Tuesday couples in civil partnerships could convert this to marriage.
Tuesday also marked the point when couples not yet in a civil partnership could submit their intention to marry.
After the usual 15-day notice period, it is expected that these same-sex marriage ceremonies will take place from December 31.
Leanne and Marie Banks, from Whitfield, were at the registry office on Commercial Street in Dundee first thing yesterday to convert their civil partnership to marriage.
The two met around five years ago and entered into a civil partnership in 2010.
Both said that they were ecstatic and described their family as “now complete”.
Leanne said: “There’s not many more days more important than today.
“It’s the story that we can tell our son Levi, who is four months old, when he is older. We have a memory box for him since he was born and this will form part of it.
“It’s great to be part of history.”
Registrar Maureen Gilchrist said this was a continuation of the couple’s journey.
“It’s like I’m their personal registrar,” she said. “We’ve had lots of inquiries for same-sex marriage in Dundee.”
The Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of legislation to permit gay marriages in February, when the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill was passed by 105 votes to 18.
Tom French of the Equality Network said the move is “an important step” for marriage equality in Scotland.
He said: “Scotland has one of the most progressive bills in the world, helping to create the fair and equal society we all want to see.”
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act has made this the 17th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.
Despite this approval a number of churches, including the Catholic Church and Church of Scotland, remain opposed to the move.
However, support for same-sex marriage has reached a record high in Scotland, according to a survey.
The figures from ScotCen Social Research’s Scottish Social Attitudes Survey found that more than two-thirds (68%) of respondents believe gay or lesbian couples should have the right to marry up from around two-fifths (41%) in 2002.