First gay marriage in Sonoma County

<p>Sonoma County helped usher in history Monday as the first gay marriage was performed at 5:20 p.m., with the newlyweds wiping away tears and laughing nervously at the vows.</p><p>"It's great," said Mark Gren of Santa Rosa, adding that the ceremony was everything he and his husband, Chris Lechman, hoped for.</p><p>The wedding was business as usual for the couple despite a flurry of attention to the county's first legal gay wedding ceremony.</p><p>"It felt a lot like crossing the T's and dotting the I's," Lechman said.</p><p>Cheers and shouts from a nearby room where gay couples lined up to sign licenses echoed through Gren and Lechman's vows.</p><p>But the circus-like atmosphere only made the event seem more historic, Gren said.</p><p>"We recognized those who paved the way for us and hopefully this will be a stepping stone for other rights to follow," Gren said. </p><p>Thirty-six people gathered late Monday afternoon at the Sonoma County Clerk’s Office in Santa Rosa to take early advantage of the state Supreme Court's May 15 ruling legalizing same-sex marriages, which took effect at 5:01 p.m. Monday.</p><p>Many couples said they had waited more than 20 years for this day. With flowers and favors, they were are preparing to tie the knot, a privilege they know may not last past a November ballot measure intended to outlaw the unions.</p><p>“I’m happy-anxious,” said Al Mueller, 64, of Guerneville as he prepared to marry Doug Erickson, 64, also of Guerneville.</p><p>But November? “I’m scared-anxious,” he said.</p>