Officials ramped up preparations in recent days with the hope that all would go smoothly today for San Bernardino County's first same-sex marriages.

The first marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples can be issued this morning by the Hall of Records in San Bernardino.

In anticipation of increased demand, the Hall of Records has also expanded the facilities for wedding ceremonies from its two main wedding chapels to also include three conference rooms and two nearby outdoor locations.

"We don't have a lot of information or statistics that we can apply to this situation," said Larry Walker, the county auditor/controller-recorder. "We're just trying to prepare for a significant increase in numbers, and we're prepared to be flexible at the same time."

There are at least 92,000 same-sex couples in California, U.S. census data shows. More than 10,000 same-sex couples resided in the San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario metropolitan area in 2005, according to a report by The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation, Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law.

As of Monday, 35 couples had made appointments with the Hall of Records, although it was unclear whether they were same-sex or opposite-sex couples, Walker said.

The county will also be rolling out an updated Web site this morning, so that same-sex couples can apply for licenses online. New marriage documents also will be used. The words "bride" and "groom" have been replaced with "party 1" and "party 2," Walker said.

Security officers have also been notified that they should be prepared for protesters.

While some elected officials in other California counties have planned ceremonies celebrating the historic day, supervisors in San Bernardino County have not announced any plans.