For the first time in France, two men who were together for six years, on Wednesday exchanged vows in the city hall of the southern city of Montpellier.

The first gay marriage came after the Socialists's major reform that triggered month-long hot debates and violent street protests.

Wearing black suits, Vincent Aubin and Bruno Boileau, the gay couple, arrived to the town hall of France's most gay-friendly city at around 17:47 local time (15:47 GMT) under the crackling flashes. The two men entered the ceremony room to sounds of "Love", a Jazz song of Nat King Cole.

Aubin, a 40-year-old gay activist and Boileau, a government worker in his 30s were the first same-sex couple who signed the marriage registry entry for gay people before Montpellier's mayor Helene Mandroux who declared them "united by the marriage link in the name of the law."

"This day you have dreamed of, and today, it becomes reality. Vinent and Bruno, you are going to live, and we also, a historic moment for our country, for our Republic as we celebrate the first wedding of the same sex in a society that progresses and fight against discrimination," Mandroux said opening the wedding ceremony.

"We are building a more stronger society where every one is free to make his choices and choose his passions," she added.

Moved and with tears on his eyes, Vincent, hailed the efforts of gay marriage supporters that make the dream of the same-sex marriage a real fact.

"The only thing I fear in this marriages hat our lives are not long enough. I love you," he told his husband.

"Our struggle does not end here. We will be Saturday at the gay pride," he added.

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the government's spokeswoman and minister for women's rights was the only member of the public that shared the wedding ceremony, along with hundreds of invited guests, relatives, friends and about 115 accredited journalists.

France legalized the law opening marriage and adoption to same-sex couples on May 18 after months' hot debates between supporters and opponents.

The controversial law has taken tens of thousands of French citizen, mainly the right-wingers and religious groups, to the street to fight against it since last autumn.

Up to 100 policemen were deployed on Wednesday around the wedding ceremony site to cope with the possible protest.

Last week, one opponent of gay marriage shot himself dead at the altar of Paris's Notre Dame cathedral and on Sunday some 150,000 protesters marched on the street in central Paris to show their continued fight against the gay marriage law and asked the law's repeal.

Hundreds of protesters clashed with police and 293 of them were arrested for involving in violence.

Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden currently allow gay marriage and gay couples to adopt.

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