PARIS -- France will mark its first gay marriage Wednesday after months of often bitter debate and violent protest that have divided the nation.

In what is expected to be a simple ceremony, billed by the French media as the "marriage of the century," Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau will make Gallic history.

The town hall in the southern French city of Montpellier, where the local mayor presides over civil unions, is not big enough for the 200 friends and family invited along with 300 gay activists, more than 100 journalists from around the world -- who are required to have obtained special accreditation to attend -- and a government minister. The event has been moved to a local function hall instead.

Autin, 40, a gay-rights campaigner who works in the Montpellier tourist office, and Boileau, 30, a civil servant, published their declaration to marry and organized the ceremony immediately after legislation known as the "marriage for all" bill became law here 10 days ago. The pair have been living together for seven years and had long planned to be the first gay couple to marry when the law was passed, which made France the 14th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.