The passing of the controversial Marriage Amendment Bill - by 77 votes to 44- means people like Tauranga's Te Mete Smith can fulfil a life-long dream of getting married in New Zealand.
In Parliament last night the sponsor of a bill to make gay marriage legal, Labour MP Louisa Wall, who is gay, thanked her "darling" civil union partner Prue Kapua for "sharing this journey with me".
"I thank my colleagues for simply doing what is just, fair and right," she said.
For Mr Smith, the change means he will not have to travel overseas to marry his long-term partner Joseph Hayes.
"Marriage is something that I thought about but it was never an option.
"And a civil union will not cut it. But now there's another option that makes us equal and it's something to celebrate." Mr Smith said he knew he was gay at a young age but "came out" to his parents seven years ago when he was 21.
"I kept it from my family because they weren't accepting of it.
"They are now ... but originally when I came out my parents and I didn't speak for three years."
"They are a Christian family and had very idealistic hopes and dreams of what they wanted for me and I guess that didn't happen, in their eyes."
As a child Mr Smith was teased, bullied and beaten up because he was different.
He felt like a "second class citizen" and was treated like one.
After years being shunned by society, Mr Smith said times were beginning to change and gay couples were slowly being accepted in society.
"What I hope for, regardless of a person's sexuality, gender or identity, is for all people to have the same rights as everyone else."
Reverend John Hebenton from St George's Anglican Church in Gate Pa said he hoped and expected the Bill to pass.
"I think it will be a good thing," he said.
"People might get upset that we shouldn't redefine marriage but we redefine it all the time. Marriage, in its original context, was about property where the woman was the property of the father then her new husband's. It was about ownership and we don't accept that anymore ... and this is just a new redefinition of marriage."
Mr Hebenton said his opinion was not shared by everyone in the church but there were "quite a few" who did and together they put in a submission in support of the law change.
Despite last night's Bill passing, many churches will not be able to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies as most churches were governed by church law, Mr Hebenton said.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who spoke against the change in Parliament last night, said: "What we've had is a small, yet vocal, minority telling the rest of New Zealanders that there is a law change that everyone wants."
The Marriage Amendment Bill, which allows same-sex and transgender couples to marry, was passed last night in Parliament, 77 votes to 44.
Here's how the MPs voted:
THOSE IN FAVOUR: 77
National:
Amy Adams, Selwyn
Chris Auchinvole, List
Maggie Barry, North Shore
Paula Bennett, Waitakere
David Bennett, Hamilton East
Jackie Blue, List
Cam Calder, List
David Carter, List
Judith Collins, Papakura
Jacqui Dean, Waitaki
Craig Foss, Tukituki
Aaron Gilmore, List
Paul Goldsmith, List
Jo Goodhew, Rangitata
Tim Groser, List
Tau Henare, List
Paul Hutchison, Hunua
Nikki Kaye, Auckland Central
Steven Joyce, List
John Key, Helensville
Hekia Parata, List
Jami-Lee Ross, Botany
Scott Simpson, Coromandel
Chris Tremain, Napier
Nicky Wagner, Christchurch Central
Kate Wilkinson, Waimakariri
Maurice Williamson, Pakuranga
Labour:
Jacinda Ardern, List
Carol Beaumont, List
David Clark, Dunedin North
Clayton Cosgrove, List
David Cunliffe, New Lynn
Clare Curran, Dunedin South
Lianne Dalziel, Christchurch East
Ruth Dyson, Port Hills
Kris Faafoi., Mana
Darien Fenton, List
Phil Goff, Mt Roskill
Chris Hipkins, Rimutaka
Parekura Horomia, Ikaroa-Rawhiti
Raymond Huo, List
Shane Jones, List
Annette King, Rongotai
Iain Lees-Galloway, Palmerston North
Andrew Little, List
Moana Mackey, List
Nanaia Mahuta, Hauraki-Waikato
Trevor Mallard, Hutt South
Sue Moroney, List
David Parker, List
Rajen Prasad, List
Grant Robertson, Wellington Central
David Shearer, Mt Albert
Maryan Street, List
Phil Twyford, Te Atatu
Louisa Wall, Manurewa
Megan Woods, Wigram
Greens:
Steffan Browning, List
David Clendon, List
Catherine Delahunty, List
Julie-Anne Genter, List
Kennedy Graham, List
Kevin Hague, List
Gareth Hughes, List
Jan Logie, List
Mojo Mathers, List
Russel Norman, List
Denise Roche, List
Metiria Turei, List
Eugenie Sage, List
Holly Walker, List
Maori Party:
Te Ururoa Flavell, Waiariki
Tariana Turia, Te Tai Hauauru
Pita Sharples, Tamaki Makaurau
United Future:
Peter Dunne, Ohariu
Act:
John Banks, Epsom
Mana:
Hone Harawira, Te Tai Tokerau
THOSE AGAINST: 44
National:
Shane Ardern, Taranaki-King Country
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, List
Chester Borrows, Whanganui
Simon Bridges, Tauranga
Gerry Brownlee, Ilam
Jonathan Coleman, Northcote
Bill English, Cluth-Southland
Chris Finlayson, List
Nathan Guy, Otaki
John Hayes, Wairarapa
Phil Heatley, Whangarei
Colin King, Kaikoura
Melissa Lee, List
Sam Lotu-Iiga, Maungakiekie
Tim Macindoe, Hamilton West
Todd McClay, Rotorua
Murray McCully, East Coast Bays
Ian McKelvie, Rangitikei
Mark Mitchell, Rodney
Alfred Ngaro, List
Simon O'Connor, Tamaki
Eric Roy, Invercargill
Tony Ryall, Bay of Plenty
Mike Sabin, Northland
Katrina Shanks, List
Nick Smith, Nelson
Lindsay Tisch, Waikato
Anne Tolley, East Coast
Louise Upston, Taupo
Michael Woodhouse, List
Jian Yang, List
Jonathan Young, New Plymouth
Labour:
Damien O'Connor, West Coast - Tasman
Ross Robertson, Manukau East
Su'a William Sio, Mangere
Rino Tirikatene, Te Tai Tonga
NZ First:
Asenati Lole-Taylor, List
Tracey Martin, List
Winston Peters, List
Richard Prosser, List
Barbara Stewart, List
Andrew Williams, List
Denis O'Rourke, List
Independent:
Brendan Horan, List
Marriage Amendment Bill:
* Takes effect mid-August
* Allows same-sex and transgender couples to marry
* Allows both people in a gay relationship to be recognised as a parent of an adopted child
* Allows religious ministers to choose who they marry and criticise gay marriage from the pulpit without breaching human rights
* People getting married will be able to choose whether they are called a bride, bridegroom, or partner.
Rain started falling at the top of the country before dawn.