The move meant she now had the option of marrying partner of two years Frances Bodel.

''A lot of my friends are actually going to be getting married soon, I can't wait for that, and one day that might happen to me too, to Fran and I, and if we want to we can,'' she said.

''It was an amazing, amazing feeling, we're now equal.''

Ms Bodel took a day off work without pay on Tuesday, determined not to miss out on the historic occasion.

She was with Ms Maynard in the ACT Legislative Assembly gallery as the law passed and she said she still had goose bumps thinking about it.

The retail worker said she knew of five lesbian couples who were planning to marry on December 20 in a joint wedding.

Old Parliament House already plays host to the Museum of Australian Democracy, but it may soon have a live exhibit of democratic history, being one of Canberra's most popular wedding venues. The building could host one of Australia's first same-sex marriages, with the old members' dining room and the former Senate and House of Representatives courtyards among the spaces available to use for weddings.

A private company is contracted to manage events at the federal parliament's former home, but it's believed there have been no

bookings for same-sex weddings at the venue as yet.

Other popular wedding spots in the capital include Commonwealth Park and the Senate and House of Representative gardens outside Old Parliament House.

Whether same-sex marriages are on the cards there isn't known, with details not asked of the nature of private event bookings, but it can be a six-month wait for a Saturday booking.

At the National Arboretum, the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion has proved popular for weddings, although the ACT government-owned site was yet to receive a same-sex wedding booking as of Tuesday afternoon.

''What my clients are waiting for is to know when the act is going to be enacted,'' said Judy Aulich, one of 46 registered civil union celebrants who will be authorised to perform same-sex marriages under the Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013.

''It's not until [then] that the documents go up on the website, so people can't even give notice that they intend to marry, and they have to give a month's notice.''

Ms Aulich has 10 same-sex couples waiting for her to marry them, including from interstate.

''I've had three more today, but I've had other people on the books from the minute they knew [the act] was going to go up to the Assembly,'' she said.

Many of her clients want to marry as soon as possible.

''I have quite a few people who really want to do it on the first available day, to make a point as much as anything,'' she said.