Kentaindra Scarver holds out her phone as her mother talks to the media about her daughters new marriage license.

DUBUQUE – Two Dubuque women woke up at four-thirty Monday morning with a goal. They wanted to become the first same-sex marriage couple in Dubuque County.

Kentaindra Scarverand Veronica Spann smiling after receiving their marriage license.

“We were here before 8 a.m. but we were sitting in the car waiting for it to open,” said Scarver,” and once the courthouse opened we were a little scared, like ok, let’s do it.”

At around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning Kentaindra Scarver, 33, and Veronica Spann, 24, emerged from the courthouse after spending two hours waiting to get their marriage license.

Iowa law requires a three day period to obtain a marriage license, but the two women went to open court and asked Dubuque Judge Monica Ackley for a waiver so they could receive their license today.

Scarver and Spann moved to Dubuque just over seven months ago to find a safer home for their family. They never dreamed that Iowa would grant same-sex marriage licenses before Illinois.

The media swarms the two women after they leave the Dubuque Courthouse.

“Just when we thought it was the wrong thing to do this happens. It gives you hope,” said Scarver. “We moved here for a safer living and then we got an even better living; we got married.”

The two women slipped past the local media this morning as they entered the courthouse with a nervous feeling and goose bumps at the prospect of actually getting married. As they emerged they were engulfed by questions.

Kentaindra was so excited to be married she called her mother who said “whatever feels right to my daughter is good for me too. “She even joked that “I married a man and I messed up.”

As the couple parted with their new marriage license they wanted  everyone to know “this is for us, this is for all of us” [speaking to the gay and lesbian community members that had gathered at the courthouse to show their support for same-sex couples getting married Monday].

Stay tuned to the Lorian and LCTV13 for more coverage as the day goes on.