While it won't be anything like Minneapolis City Hall's midnight wedding madness, St. Paul will put on its best floral display for its first same-sex wedding at midnight Wednesday.

Reid Bordson and Paul Nolle, who have been partners for 13 years, will be married in a ceremony beginning at midnight in the Como Conservatory's colorful and fragramt sunken garden.

Bordson and Nolle, both 35, who live in Bloomington, were selected by the city to be the St. Paul's First Couple when same-sex marriages become legal. Bordson is a teacher and Nolle is in sales. They have a 21-month-old daughter, Anna.

Their ceremony is one of 13 scheduled in Como Park and at Irvine Park near downtown throughout the day Thursday. Six will be at the famed sunken garden, one in the north garden and three on the grounds outside. Three more will take place in Irvine Park.

The last scheduled wedding of the day is in the sunken garden at 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Unlike in Minneapolis, where Mayor R.T. Rybak is presiding, city officials are keeping a low profile at the St. Paul events, allowing the couples and their families to conduct the services privately.

The city offered the sites to couples without a permit fee, with reservations blocked in 90-minute increments. In addition, the public health department planned to have booths at the two wedding sites where couples who registered by July 26 can pick up their wedding licenses.