The day began early Monday morning for a small group of volunteers who gathered at the Dubuque County Courthouse in anticipation of same-sex couples taking advantage of Iowa’s new law.

“It makes me hopeful for my future. I am overjoyed right now,” said Tyler Dague, a local organizer for OneIowa who was on hand before the courthouse opened. “It’s going to be a great day for Iowa.”

Tyler Dague speaks to the media Monday at the Dubuque County Courthouse.

The waiting game began for Tyler and the others at 8 a.m. with flowers and information packets at the ready for the first couple that would arrive. At around 10 a.m., two women emerged from the courthouse and slipped past the volunteers and the media alike. These two women, Kentaindra Scarver and Veronica Spann, were the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage license in Dubuque.

“They were signing the paper and typing it up, so once the lady came with it, I was like, ‘Let’s get it and run!’” said Scarver, after realizing that she and Spann were the first couple in the county to receive a license.

Scarver and Spann were among 14 same-sex couples Monday who applied for and received marriage licenses in Dubuque County. Six couples came to the courthouse to apply in person while seven more submitted requests by mail.

Four of the couples who received licenses appeared in open court to apply for a waiver that would allow them to be married that same day.

Iowa law requires a three-day waiting period after receiving a marriage license before a couple can be legally married, but the law also allows for couples to be married the same day through the waiver. All four of the couples who applied for the waiver were married Monday afternoon.

“I got to sit in on three weddings today,” Dague said. “It was great to see them so happy.”

Volunteers at the courthouse said they saw no signs of protest throughout the day.

“This is a big step forward for Dubuque,” said Tanya Engling, a young, openly gay Dubuque resident. “I think Iowa is more willing to bite the bullet and let what happens, happen.”

The final couple of the day to receive a marriage license arrived at the courthouse just before 3:30 that afternoon. Molly Menster and Tina Sio knew they were not going to get married that day, but they wanted to make their life commitment official.

“It is hard to believe it is actually happening,” Menster said. “I felt a little anxious coming today because I didn’t know what to expect, and to come here and see people waiting here and walking in with us made me feel so at ease.”

After over eight hours of volunteering Tyler and the others who helped during the day said it was all worth it.

“This will probably still be an issue in the coming weeks and months,” Dague said, “but this is a great first step.”

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.