Same Sex Marriage Comes to Iowa - Really!

Same-sex couples in Iowa began holding hastily planned weddings Monday, a leap that even some supporters find hard to grasp in the nation's heartland.

At least 360 same-sex couples have applied for marriage licenses in Iowa, with the heaviest concentrations in Linn, Polk, Scott and Johnson counties, according to information collected by The Des Moines Register.

The tally so far includes 26 out-of-state couples, according to a survey of county recorders.
On Monday, Iowa becomes the third state offering same-sex marriage, following Massachusetts and Connecticut. Vermont has passed a law that will take effect in September.(AP)

Here are some details on Iowa's process:

- Marriage requirements: Two people, over 18, not already legally married, not closely related and legally competent to enter into a civil contract.

- License: Applicants must show proof of identity, pay $35 fee, and have a witness sign the application. Three-day waiting period before wedding may be performed, although this may be waived by judge.

- Ceremony: Must be in Iowa, with both parties, an officiate (judge or leader of a religious faith) and two witnesses present.

-If a same-sex couple have been legally married elsewhere, their marriage is valid in Iowa as of Monday. It is not yet clear if civil unions from another state or registered domestic partnerships will be recognized in Iowa.

-For a divorce, one party must have been a resident of Iowa for at least one year.