Chris Serrano, left, and Clifton Webb kiss after being married, as people wait in line to get licenses outside of the marriage division of the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office in Salt Lake City, Friday, Dec. 20, 2013. A federal judge ruled on Friday that Utah's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Same-sex couples Natalie Dicou, left, and Nichole Christensen, middle left, and James Goodman, middle right, and Jeffrey Gomez, right, wait in line to get a marriage license at the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013. Kody Partridge, left, and Laurie Wood celebrate while applying for a marriage license at the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013. The couple were plaintiffs in a case where a federal judge ruled on Friday that Utah's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Samantha Christensen, left, and Elise Larsen apply for a marriage license in the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013. Ruth Hackford-Peer, right, and Kim Hackford-Peer, standing next to her, are married by Rev. Curtis Price, left, while hugging their two children Riley Hackford-Peer, back middle, and Casey Hackford-Peer, bottom middle, in the lobby of the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Elisa Noel rushed to the county clerk's office with her partner immediately after learning that a federal judge overturned Utah's ban on gay marriage. They waited in line for a wedding license and were married in an impromptu ceremony punctuated with Noel giving the officiant a high-five. "I can't believe this is Utah," Noel said moments after a ceremony that took place about 3 miles from the headquarters of the Mormon church. Others had a similar reaction after a ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby that declared Utah's voter-approved ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. The recent appointee by President Barack Obama said the ban violates the constitutional rights of gay couples and ruled Utah failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way. The ruling prompted a frenzy of activity by lawyers and gay couples. The Republican governor blasted the ruling as going against the will of the people. Gay couples rushed to the Salt Lake County Clerk's office en masse to secure marriage licenses, waiting in line by the dozens and getting married on the spot by the mayor and ministers. It was a jubilant affair as cheers broke out after ceremonies were completed. A gay bar in Salt Lake quickly made plans for a Friday night party to mark the event. Some made plans to march on the capitol Monday. I am working with my legal counsel and the acting attorney general to determine the best course to defend traditional marriage within the borders of Utah," Gov. Gary Herbert said. Late Friday, the state filed both a notice of appeal of the ruling and a request for an emergency stay that would stop marriage licenses from being issued to same-sex couples. It's unknown when the judge will make a decision on whether to grant the stay. The ruling has thrust the judge into the national spotlight less than two years after Congress approved his nomination to the federal bench. Shelby was appointed by President Barack Obama after GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch recommended him in November 2011. Many similar challenges to same-sex marriage bans are pending in other states, but the Utah case has been closely watched because of the state's history of steadfast opposition to gay marriage as the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deputy Salt Lake County Clerk Dahnelle Burton-Lee said the district attorney authorized her office to begin issuing the licenses but she couldn't immediately say how many had been issued. But it was clear from the line at the clerk's office that was several dozen. "Do you, Jim, take Steven, to be your lawfully wedded spouse?" the mayor asked. But at the Utah County clerk's office in Provo, same sex-couples were still denied marriage licenses. Carter said the ruling was still a positive step and she believes Utah County, considered one of Utah's most conservative, will eventually have to start granting the licenses. During a nearly four-hour hearing on the case earlier this month, attorneys for the state argued that Utah's law promotes the state's interest in "responsible procreation" and the "optimal mode of child-rearing." In the ruling, Shelby wrote that the right to marry is a fundamental right protected by the U.S. Constitution.