Dozens of gay and lesbian couples celebrated the arrival of civil unions in New Hampshire in the early moments of New Year's Day Tuesday, bundling up against below-freezing temperatures for a group ceremony as soon as the unions became legal after midnight.

Organizers said they checked in 37 couples for the outdoor ceremony on the plaza of the New Hampshire Statehouse -- the building where the law was voted in and signed in 2007.

"We've been together 20 years, we've been waiting for this moment for 20 years, finally the state will recognize us as we are," said Julie Bernier,

We really didn't believe that we'd be able to see this accomplished within one year but it has happened," Portsmouth state Rep. Jim Splaine, a sponsor of the civl unions bill, told the cheering crowd of about 200.

One thing we have to keep in mind is that there is much more to do. We have to continue the journey to make sure that we have marriage equality, full marriage equality -- with the word marriage -- soon."