DOZENS of same-sex couples lined up outside City Hall in heavy rain yesterday, waiting for city offices to open so they could join more than 1,700 other gay and lesbian couples who have exchanged vows in the last few days.

Hundreds of same-sex marriages kept San Francisco City Hall offices open and buzzing through the weekend, with gay and lesbian couples waiting hours to exchange vows and conservative activists promising a relentless legal challenge.

Gay and lesbian couples rushed to San Francisco to celebrate Valentine’s Day with weddings at City Hall today as officials continued to defy state law by issuing marriage licences to same-sex partners.