The doors to same-sex marriage were flung open wide in Florida early Tuesday as hundreds of couples applied for licenses and then repeated wedding vows in ceremonies that served to mark a major shift in public acceptance.

Nowhere was the lifting of the state's ban on gay marriage more dramatic or emotional than in the main jury room at the Broward County Courthouse, where Clerk of Court Howard Forman married 106 couples in a wave of group ceremonies held between 2 and 5 a.m.

"Being part of the movement that equalized all marriages really punctuates the validity of our relationship and the validity of our marriage," said Donna Solomon-Carter after she and her partner Deb Solomon-Carter fulfilled a dream they had nurtured since becoming engaged more than three years ago.

The newlyweds said legal status as a couple would immediately give them health insurance through Deb's employer, Publix. The company "made a big announcement that they're going to acknowledge and allow same sex spouses to jump right in (and share benefits) so that's probably the first thing we're going to tackle," said Donna Solomon-Carter.

Added Deb Solomon-Carter: "As of Jan. 1, they were going to recognize not just couples married in Florida but anybody who's married in a state where it's legal."

Florida became the 36th state, along with Washington, D.C., to recognize same-sex marriage following the expiration of a stay on a federal ruling striking down the state's ban as unconstitutional. Seventy percent of Americans now live in states where same-sex couples can legally wed.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Florida as of Jan. 6, 2015. See and share photos of same-sex weddings around the state. ( Click here to upload your photos.

Marriages began in Miami-Dade County on Monday when Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel lifted the stay on her ruling in a case in which six same-sex couples challenged the marriage ban. Judge Zabel lifted the stay following a motion by Miami-Dade County Clerk Harvey Rubin in response to a federal judge's order.

At 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the state's other 66 counties were allowed to issue licenses to same-sex couples.

In Palm Beach County, Irene Kalinowski and Dana Murphy went to the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach around 10:30 p.m. Monday with no intention of getting married. They wanted only to pick up a marriage license, they said.

But once there, joining some 100 other couples, the Jupiter couple of 15 years got swept up in the excitement. "Being able to be a part of Florida's history of equal marriage just felt right," said Kalinowski, 44.

"Oddly enough, I'm surprised that it feels this good to have this piece of paper," Kalinowski said, holding a marriage certificate. "I didn't think I'd feel any different. Now that it's legally recognized, we have the same rights and I don't have to worry if anything happens. I feel like I'll sleep so much better."

While the end of the ban was welcomed in much of South Florida, some objections were sounded in the more conservative northern sections of the state.

In Jacksonville, Duval County Court Clerk Ronnie Fussell shut down the courthouse chapel, saying no marriage ceremonies — gay or straight — would be allowed there. At least two other counties in northeast Florida did the same.

"The day is going to come very soon where America is going to wake up and say, 'Whoa! Wait a second! I wanted two guys to live together. I didn't want the fundamental transformation of society,'" said John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy council. He led the petition drive to put the gay marriage ban on the ballot back in 2008.

But in gay-friendly Key West, the party was on. Aaron Huntsman and William Lee Jones received the Keys' first marriage license issued to a same-sex couple early Tuesday. They exchanged nuptials in matching black tuxedos with blue vests, in front of several hundred people on the steps of the Monroe County Courthouse.

Back in Broward, Tammy Lopez and her partner, Jessica Nielsen, arrived at the courthouse at 6:30 p.m.Monday, not wanting to get shut out.

"I didn't think I'd be No. 1, but I didn't want to be No. 100," Lopez said. The couple was No. 4. They were among the first group to get their licenses, though they decided to wait until the mass wedding to get hitched.

They could wait. Lopez and Nielsen met seven years ago. They were neighbors in an apartment complex. Two years ago, they had a commitment ceremony that had all the trappings of a big, traditional wedding ceremony.

"This just makes it official," Lopez said.

Stork's Bakery put out cake and coffee as a diverse group of gay and lesbian couples, about 200 by 12:15 a.m., milled about the room. It was hurry-up-and-wait as couples turned in their applications, waited to get them processed, waited to pay their fees, waited to get a hardship waiver in order to avoid the three-day waiting period and get married immediately.

Nancy Brodzki, the lawyer who successfully fought to have a Broward circuit judge overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban, stood at the front of one line. Once a lawyer fighting for a client trying to get her marriage recognized so she could divorce, now, Brodzki was waiting to get married herself.

She led another round of people down a hallway to pay their fees as the next 10 in line took their place.

Sheriff Scott Israel walked up to the front of the room as Brodzki disappeared through a door.

"Good evening everybody," Israel said. "I guess you could call this a historic night."

The crowd cheered as Israel congratulated two police officers who were getting married.

For many couples, exchanging vows had been a long time coming.

Donna Muratore and Alicia Maldonado tied the knot after 25 years together.

"It means a lot, it's historic, we never thought we'd see this in our lifetime and now that it's legal it makes it important because we have the same rights as man and wife, as spouses and as partners," said Donna Muratore.

"We've been waiting a long time," said Alicia Maldonado. "We're very happy."

Ashley Foulds and Cori Graham brought the whole family to the Delray Beach courthouse Monday night, deciding their three kids could skip school Tuesday to see them exchange vows.

"They want to know, 'Where's your wedding album?'" said Foulds, who wore a lace dress. "And we've had to tell them, We're not allowed to get married.' So this is for them as much as us."