Joshua Rymer says he's having a shotgun wedding, though no children are on the way.

He plans to marry Timothy Frazer before Nov. 2, when Californians will vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same- sex marriages. The measure would overturn a state Supreme Court decision that today makes California the second U.S. state to allow homosexual couples to wed.

"We want to make sure we take advantage of it before there is any possibility that privilege or right is taken away,'' said Rymer, 51, chief executive officer of Terradatum Inc., a real- estate software company in Glen Ellen, California.

California officials are bracing for a wave of nuptials from couples taking advantage of the ruling, which became effective at 5:01 p.m. local time today.

San Francisco married one couple this evening, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, who had been plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court decision. Hundreds of supporters cheered and waved as Lyon and Martin emerged from Mayor Gavin Newsom's office. Outside City Hall, a marching band was playing and at least 1,000 more people gathered to support the couple. About a dozen protesters picketed, carrying signs with religious themes and anti-homosexual messages.

Los Angeles County this evening married Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, who sued after their request to wed in 2004 was denied.

Extended Hours

Sonoma, Alameda and Yolo counties extended their hours so they could issue licenses tonight. The rest of the state will start tomorrow.

"We're preparing for several hundred couples on Tuesday, possibly up to the thousands,'' said Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County Clerk.

Advocates of amending the state constitution say the California Supreme Court ignored the will of the 61 percent of voters who in 2000 approved a measure to limit marriage to same- sex couples.

"This is a chance for the people to get the issue straight,'' said Brian Raum, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal adviser for the campaign to pass the constitutional change. "The government should be in the business of promoting traditional marriage between one man and one woman, which is the optimal setting for raising kids.''

Court Battle

San Francisco triggered the court battle in 2004 when it became the first municipality in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts followed in 2005 after a ruling by that state's top court. California has about 92,000 same-sex couples living together, more per capita than any other state, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Gay partners from 46 other states went to San Francisco when ceremonies began four years ago. Almost 4,000 couples were married during the four weeks before the state court halted the practice while it considered a lawsuit challenging it.

Paula Bocciardi plans to get her wedding license tomorrow. Bocciardi, an analyst with the Administrative Office of the Courts in San Francisco, said she was first in line to make a license appointment on May 15, the day the Supreme Court decision was announced.

"Having that piece of paper and making that commitment official means that my relationship is even more -- kind of sacred -- in my own eyes,'' said Bocciardi, 52, who lives in San Francisco. "So I guess I am not any different than any other bride.''

$684 Million

Residents, out-of-state couples and guests may spend $684 million over the next three years because of same-sex weddings, according to a study by Brad Sears and M.V. Lee Badgett, researchers at the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.

San Francisco has encouraged couples to come to town to get married. It has 8,900 same-sex couples living together, more per- capita than any other city in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau.

Charles Kimball, a waiter in St. Helena, California, is offering to arrange weddings for a fee at gay-friendly venues in the wine country north of San Francisco.

Michelle Wharton, 36, and Ricci Preffer, 39, are coming from the Hawaiian island of Maui to pick up their marriage license in San Francisco. Preffer, who is due to give birth to a son in September, said she hopes it will help as she seeks to have Michelle legally adopt the child, even though Hawaii won't recognize it.

"Every little bit that we can add to show our intention will protect our family,'' she said.

Legal Rights

While gay couples enjoy many of the same legal rights as heterosexual couples under California's domestic-partner law, the Supreme Court said not allowing them to marry violated their constitutional rights.

Jeanne Rizzo, 61, and Pali Cooper, 52, said their relationship was deprived of legitimacy when they were denied the right to marry. The Tiburon, California, couple has lived together since 1989, and Cooper helped raise Rizzo's son, Christopher. They plan to marry the last week of August.

"Having this relationship legally recognized was more important than I realized,'' Cooper said.

A poll released last month by the Field Research Corp. in San Francisco found that 51 percent of registered voters favored allowing gays and lesbians to marry, putting supporters in a majority for the first time. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is against the constitutional amendment to ban such unions.

Rizzo said she hopes that once people get used to gay marriages, they'll see no need to outlaw them.

"Nothing bad happens,'' she said. "I think it'll be determined that this is a good thing. What'll happen is the opposition will just fade.''