American stand-up comedian and actress Ellen DeGeneres and her longtime girlfriend, actress Portia de Rossi, announced their intention to tie the knot, the Associated Press reported. The announcement was made during a taping of DeGeneres’ talk show - The Ellen DeGeneres Show - aired yesterday.

DeGeneres made public her plans to wed De Rossi on Thursday, the same day California's high court overturned the state's laws against gay marriage.

"So I would like to say now, for the first time, I am announcing: I am getting married," she said. "We wanted it to be legal and we're just very, very excited."

The studio audience received the news with enthusiasm and they rose from their seats to give the talk show host a long ovation. Portia de Rossi was in the studio as well. She happily stood up as well and clapped.

"Thank you. I'll tell you who the lucky guy is soon," said DeGeneres after receiving the standing ovation.

If the two actresses tie the knot, it will most certainly be the most high-profile same-sex wedding since Sir Elton John married his partner David Furnish in England in 2005. Celebs like Victoria Beckham and Claudia Schiffer attended the wedding party at the couple’s Berkshire mansion. The lavish party is thought to have cost £1 million.

Elton John and David Furnish, a former advertising executive and now film maker, actually entered into a civil partnership. Same-sex marriage is illegal in the United Kingdom.

According to the new Californian legislation, same-sex couples will be able to get married across the state in a month. However, those opposing the new law said they are readying a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage for the November ballot.