Today's Tearjerker: Washington's Newlywed Ladies

On Sunday, Washington became the first state to begin marrying same-sex couples after voters approved marriage equality at the ballot box in November. County officials began issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples on Thursday, November 29, and after a state-mandated three-day waiting period, hundreds of loving, committed LGBT couples made it official on Sunday.

We don't often get to report on such unabashedly joyful news, but when we do, it's tough to contain our excitement. Scroll through the following pages to see a collection of our favorite images from this weekend's weddings — and watch a moving summary video from the Seattle Timesbelow.

Congratulations to all the loving couples whose families are (finally!) visible to the state they call home.