Gay Marriage Begins In New Jersey [POLL/AUDIO]

Gay marriage is now legal in the Garden State, after the New Jersey Supreme Court refused at the end of last week to delay a lower court ruling giving the go-ahead for same sex couples to legally tie the knot.

At the stroke of midnight, several gay couples in different parts of the state officially said their "I do's".

In Lambertville Mayor Dave DelVecchio officiated a marriage ceremony for Beth Asaro and Joanne Schailey,  the first couple to enter into a civil union in New Jersey six and a half years ago.

As they were declared to be lawfully married spouses, an overflow crowd erupted in cheers.

"We're floating on air , it's like winning the Super Bowl, it's like winning the lottery , we were just trying not to faint," said Asaro, "it's too fabulous, we just never thought it would happen, ever."

She also said "this is for everyone, this is for the kids out there- like we were - we didn't think we were good enough, but you are, you're the same, everyone is equal and this is proof of it."

The newlywed's message to Governor Christie, and others who oppose gay marriage is simple."Expand your heart, expand your heart, there's enough for everybody.We're not taking away, we're adding. Open your heart, drop your appeal, drop your appeal, look at our faces, we're not scary people."

The couple eventually plans to take a honeymoon vacation,  perhaps in the shore home they had bought right before Superstorm Sandy slammed New Jersey.

Many same-sex couples that had wanted to get married today could not, because there was some confusion about the fact that New Jersey law requires a 3-day waiting period between a couple obtains a marriage license, and then actually gets married.

Hundreds and perhaps thousands of gay couples are expected to wed in the next few weeks in New Jersey.

The State Supreme Court will consider and then rule on the same-sex marriage question at the beginning of next year, and it's possible they could overturn it, but even if that were to happen, which is considered unlikely, those gay couples who have gotten married in the interim would remain legally wed.