Portland officials announced that City Hall will open at midnight on Dec. 29 to hand out marriage licenses to gay couples awaiting a new law taking effect that day.
The Portland Press Herald reported that the decision followed a state announcement that the law would take effect on that day, a Saturday.
Shortly after the November vote that approved same-sex marriage in the state, The Associated Press reported that businesses like Clay Hill Farm, a popular York wedding location, began receiving requests from gay couples looking to set a wedding date.
The AP reported that a study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimates that wedding-related spending for in-state couples is projected to be about $16 million in Maine. Including nonresidents traveling to Maine to be wed, the study estimates gay marriages could boost the state economy by $25 million in the next three years.
