I rather like Connecticut's suggested wording for the pronouncement of civil unions, which become legal in that state next weekend. At the end of ceremonies justices are advised to pronounce couples "partners in life" rather than "husband and wife."
To date, as the Washington Post story notes, Connecticut is the first state, without court pressure, to pass a civil union law conferring the same state (but not federal) rights as marriage. Vermont is the only other state that allows civil unions; Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex marriages.
Dale Carpenter's newly posted take on the governator's pending
veto of California's marriage bill is here.