SAN DIEGO -- It was a bittersweet morning for some same-sex couples who headed to the San Diego County Clerk's Office on Monday morning to request marriage licenses or seek renewal of their marriage vows.

While one couple who requested a first-time marriage license were denied, a couple who were married in Massachusetts were unexpectedly allowed to renew their vows in America's Finest City.

As part of a nationwide effort organized by GetEQUAL and Marriage Equality USA, LGBT activists headed to marriage counters and city and county administration buildings to draw attention to the fact that in most states, same-sex couples do not have the right to get married.

Actions were organized in at least 10 California cities, including San Diego's effort that included members of Canvass for A Cause and the San Diego Alliance for Equality(SAME).

As opposite-sex couples lined up outside the San Diego County Clerk's Office at the County Administration Building downtown around 8 this morning, a small group of LGBT activists gathered on the outer west side of the building, preparing to accompany a lesbian couple, Rex Fender and Rudi Redman, as they requested a marriage license.

Inside, Tony and Tyler Dylan-Hyde, who were married in Massachusetts in December 2009, spoke with the media and friends as they patiently waited to ask if they would be able to renew their marriage vows. The couple said they were not expecting to be allowed to renew their vows since their marriage was held in another state.

When a reporter approached a County Clerk's Office employee to ask if the Dylan-Hydes would be allowed to renew their out-of-state same-sex marriage vows, the employee said, "absolutely."

Followed by a contingent of media, friends and fellow activists, the Dylan-Hydes were escorted into a conference room within the County Clerk's Office complex to renew their vows.

"While we are happy that we were able to renew our Massachusetts vows, we hoped we could get married in California today," Tyler Dylan-Hyde said. "We are Californians and think that everyone should be able to get married; it's hard to understand why people can't.

"This crazy patchwork system of different states having different marriage laws is unfair and confusing," he said.

Meanwhile, Fender and Redman, who met in Texas two years ago at a rally in their home state protesting California's Proposition 8, approached the marriage license check-in line at the County Clerk's Office and were told they would not be able to get married.

"They didn't give us a reason but the women told us to go ahead and apply anyway," Fender said.

The couple went ahead and filled out a marriage application that was handed to them by a county employee and they proceeded to wait in line to have it processed.

When Fender and Redman reached the front of the line, their application was not accepted by the employee at the counter.

"The State of California is not issuing same-sex marriage licenses at this time," the employee said.

The couple asked to speak to San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Ernest Dronenburg Jr., who came out to the lobby to speak to Fender and Redman.

After a brief conversation with Dronenburg about marriage license issuance laws, Fender asked, "Does the State of California believe in discrimination?"

To this, Dronenburg responded, "the State does not believe in discrimination, but we do have to follow the law."

Back inside, county employee Jennifer Pechin officiated over the renewal of the Dylan-Hyde's vows.

Sheriff's deputy Barbara Bare, who was assigned to work the hallway outside the County Clerk's Office and has been with the force for over 35 years, took a break from her duties to come in and watch the ceremony.

Bare, who was seen being particularly helpful to the Dylan-Hydes as they waited to renew their vows, met the couple in the hallway and said she simply wanted to help them out.

"I saw them standing in the hallway and they seemed lost," Bare said. "I went down and introduced myself and helped them through the process."

The deputy said she felt the couple's love was just as legitimate as any other couple's. "They were sincere," Bare said.

Sandra Bignaga, a county employee, assisted Pechin with the ceremony.

"It was an honor and a privilege to see them officiate their marriage again," Bignaga said.

While the county employees seemed pleased to be able to perform such a ceremony, they were unable to answer questions about their thoughts on the legality of Proposition 8.

"We have to follow the law - we are bound by it," Pechin said.

Bare said 130 marriage license and renewal appointments were scheduled for today. It is not clear how many may be for same-sex couples who may have been married in California during the brief period in 2009 when same-sex marriages were performed in the state, but the deputy said she believes that more may come down today or in the future.

Debbi Hinderlitar, who calls herself a "straight ally," came to the County Clerk's Office today with the small contingent of activists.

"It is hard for me to see how people right can be denied in this way," Hinderlitar said.

Fender, who did not expect to be granted a marriage license today, said she is fighting for those who can't.

"Being from Texas, I am fighting for the people back home - I have them in my hearts today," Fender said.

As Pechin read the vows to the Dylan-Hydes, she stated that the tenets of marriage are "love, loyalty, respect, trust and understanding."

As the teary-eyed Dylan-Hydes listened to and pledged this to each other, they noted afterward that they believe the term "marriage" is a human-made one. "Marriage is a term for society at large, not just certain groups of people," Tyler said.

P.A. Walker contributed to this report.