Hundreds of lesbian and gay couples across California wed on Tuesday, giving a human face to a landmark court decision expected to generate a bruising fall campaign here over the issue of same-sex marriage. The usually quiet Amador County Clerk’s office remained so through Wednesday, but according to a local gay couple who prefer to remain anonymous, the landmark decision has spurred them to “seriously reconsider” the status of their relationship. “I have friends in San Francisco who called me on the phone. They were crying with happiness,” said one half of the partnership. Part of their hesitancy stems from an outcry against same-sex marriage by religious organizations and more conservative action groups, some of which have threatened violence. According to the Associated Press, there were scattered demonstrations outside some offices and courthouses.

About a dozen protesters stood across the street from the Sacramento County recorder's office, carrying signs that read, "Marriage = 1 man + 1 woman" and "Resist Judicial Tyranny."  Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahoney reaffirmed his belief that marriage "has a unique place in God's creation, joining a man and a woman in a committed relationship in order to nurture and support the new life for which marriage is intended." In more liberal parts of the state, however, the weddings are being warmly embraced. Protesters were outnumbered by well-wishers. Same-sex marriage has been hotly contested nationwide and state by state in the courts and at the ballot box, and California is no exception. In November, the state’s voters will decide whether to effectively rescind the court’s decision through a ballot measure that would define marriage as “between a man and a woman.” Although some couples said they preferred to wait until after the election because they feared their marriages would nullified at the ballot box, others said they wanted to make history, especially if the opportunity to get married could be lost.