Gay couples, or the same-sex couples, now have the same right to get married in England and Wales as the Church of England approved 'one man and one woman couples'. Queen Elizabeth II put her signature on the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill on Wednesday, legalising gay marriages. The first gay wedding is likely to take place in the summer of 2014.

''This is a historic moment that will resonate in many people's lives,'' said Maria Miller, equalities minister, as quoted in an Associated Press (AP) report. ''I am proud that we have made it happen and I look forward to the first same-sex wedding by next summer.''

The House of Commons had approved the changes in the Marriage Bill on Tuesday. The news that the Queen has approved the bill was greeted with cheers in the Commons chamber, BBC reports.

"The title of this bill might be 'Marriage', but its fabric is about freedom and respect," said Maria Miller, cultural secretary, as quoted in a Reuters' report. "Traditionalists should not feel their concept of marriage had been undermined."

One of the vocal opponents of the same-sex marriages, the Church of England -- and also Church of Wales -- has been barred from conducting them. The Church of England continues to maintain its stance that it supports the definition of marriage as "between one man and one woman, which has supported society for so long."

"The Church of England cannot support the Bill, because of its concern for the uncertain and unforeseen consequences for wider society and the common good when marriage is redefined in gender-neutral terms."

Religious organisations have to "opt in" to conduct gay weddings. BBC reports that there will also be review to see if groups such as humanists can be permitted to conduct same-sex marriages.

Unlike France, traditionalists, opponents of gay marriages, have not taken to streets in huge numbers in England or Wales to protest the bill. In May, nearly 400,000 traditionalists took to the street in Paris to protest against gay marriages after France recognised same-sex marriage and allowed gay couples to adopt children.

In England and Wales "the opposition seemed restricted to a very small number of people very vigorous in their views," Stephen Fielding, a political scientist at the University of Nottingham, told AP.

"It was restricted to the back benchers of the Conservative Party. It wasn't shared across the political spectrum. It was an issue whose time had come. To oppose it seemed slightly strange."

In addition to England and France, European countries such as Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Iceland, Denmark and The Netherlands have legalised gay weddings. Brazil, Canada and Argentina have also recognised rights of gays to get married. Some states in the U.S. have legalised same-sex marriage, while in Mexico, Mexico City has approved gay marriage.

Soon, gay couples in Uruguay and New Zealand can celebrate and shed tears of joy as same-sex marriage becomes legal in both the countries in August.

According to reports, the national airline of New Zealand intends to host the first gay couple wedding on its flight between Queenstown and Auckland on August 19, 2013, the day it becomes legal in the country.