SALT LAKE CITY — Gay couples in Utah have experienced a helter-skelter wave of emotions over the last three weeks: They were suddenly allowed to marry, then saw the weddings stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court and were told the state wouldn’t recognize the unions.

Now, the federal government has intervened and said it will recognize their weddings.

The announcement Friday by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that the government will honor gay marriage in Utah marked the latest strong show of support for same-sex weddings from the Obama administration. The action means more than 1,000 same-sex couples who were married in Utah in the last month can file federal taxes jointly, get Social Security benefits for spouses and request legal immigration status for partners, among other benefits.

Gay couples rejoiced over the news.

Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson were the first gay couple to legally marry in Utah, and they were thrilled at the thought of having the same federal benefits as straight couples. They plan to file their taxes jointly because of the change.

“Our apartment burst into celebratory anthems of Cher and Beyoncé,” said Seth Anderson about his reaction to Holder’s statement. “It is a great feeling to know the federal government stands with us, especially in a state that has for years tried to exclude us.”