Due to overwhelming demand, the mayor of New York City has announced that couples permitted to marry on the first day that lesbian and gay marriage is legal will be chosen by a lottery.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that 764 couples would be allowed to marry on Sunday, the first day the unions are allowed. This lottery will include applications from both heterosexual and homosexual couples. 1,728 applications have been received from same-sex couples since 5 July from a total of 2,661 online applications for marriage.

Bloomberg told a news conference: “We’ve done our homework and it’s clear that the number of couples who want to marry on Sunday is more than the city clerk’s offices could possibly handle.” He added, “The fairest way to determine who [can] … wed on Sunday and ensure everyone can properly plan for their own big day is through an even-handed lottery system.”

New York legalised same-sex marriage in June. Five other American states currently allow homosexual marriage: Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont. New York is the most populous of the states to allow it.

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