(Cape Town, South Africa) Hundreds of same-sex couples hoping to marry awoke to a shock Friday morning - they will have to wait until the new year before they can tie the knot.

Same-sex marriage legislation became law on Thursday, but registry offices across the country report they are already booked solid with opposite-sex nuptials.

The earliest the weddings can take place in most areas is January the home affairs office said Friday. For couples in Cape Town, Wynberg, Bellville and Nyanga they will have to wait until March. Only in Johannesburg some other small areas are there any openings.

Vernon Gibbs and Tony Halls became the first same-sex couple to wed in South Africa. The couple exchanged vows before a marriage officer in George, in the Southern Cape.

Gibbs and Halls run a lodge and animal center on the country's southwestern coast, and wore their game-ranger uniforms for the ceremony.

But elsewhere in the country long delays were expected.

Adding to the confusion, the marriage law allows officiates who object to gay weddings on "moral grounds" can refuse to perform the ceremonies.

The delay will not affect those gay welcoming churches that have said they will perform gay weddings, but even many of those are already booked by straight couples.

The marriage bill was signed into law by Deputy President Phumzile-Mlambo Ngcuka while President Thabo Mbeki attends a summit conference of African leaders in Nigeria and came just 24 hours before a court imposed deadline to have the law in place.

It made South Africa the fifth country to legalize same-sex marriage, following the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada. In the United States, gay marriage is legal only in the state of Massachusetts.

Last year the Constitutional Court ruled that denying same-sex couples the rights of marriage was unconstitutional. It said that if Parliament fails to act by the December deadline the the law automatically be changed to include same-sex unions. But, it gave no specific direction on how the law should be changed. Last year the Constitutional Court ruled that denying same-sex couples the rights of marriage was unconstitutional. It said that if Parliament fails to act by the December deadline the the law automatically be changed to include same-sex unions. But, it gave no specific direction on how the law should be changed.

The case that led to the court ruling was brought by Marie Fourie and Cecilia Bonthuys, who have been partners since 1994 but were unable to marry. Seven other same-sex couples later joined the case.

The Roman Catholic and conservative Protestant denominations fought the legislation as it made its way through Parliament and refuse to allow same-sex weddings.

Unitarian pastor and former Cape Town mayor Gordon Oliver said Friday that he is prepared to perform weddings for gay couples.

Oliver told the Cape Argus newspaper that opposition to same-sex marriage will, "like apartheid and abortion", change over time.

Source: �365Gay.com 2006