Gay couples rush to wed ahead of Calif. election

Apprehension over the forthcoming ballot initiative has taken a toll on many couples she knows, said Kotulski, a psychotherapist.

"In any relationship, there is the pressure of where is this going. Do you commit now? Do you commit later?" she said. "But when you have a very small window of opportunity, it definitely adds increased pressure, and that could break up a couple before they make it to the altar."

Although California Attorney General Jerry Brown has said he does not think marriages solemnized through Nov. 4 would become void if the measure passes, gay marriage opponents could try to litigate the matter. So some couples have decided to wait until after the election instead of putting themselves through such uncertainty.

Another unknown is whether same-sex marriages performed after the election would automatically not be recognized by the state. Allie Schembra, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state, said Proposition 8 would become effective the day after the election if it passes.

Election is forcing compromises
But Hong and other county clerks say that because it usually takes a month for election results to be certified as final, they do not plan to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples until they are directed by the state health department, which oversees marriage records.

The election has forced Chloe Harris, 28, and Frankie Frankeny, 42, to make a series of compromises. The women would have preferred to have their legal ceremony Dec. 30, the anniversary of the day they married without the government's blessing in Paris two years ago. Mindful of the upcoming vote, they hastily scheduled their nuptials for Oct. 18.

A little more than two weeks from the big date, the couple still had not contacted everyone they wanted to invite and were just getting around to selecting the caviar and wine for their reception. Then there was the conversation about what they wanted to be called afterward; Harris felt comfortable using wife, while Frankeny did not. They agreed "partner" sounded too antiseptic.

The owner of the restaurant where their wedding will be held, Traci des Jardin, is a close friend who will be catering at least 14 gay weddings in October. Des Jardin assured Frankeny and Harris that what they jokingly call their "shotgun wedding" would be perfect.

"We haven't had this privilege before, so something about that alone makes it special," she said.

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