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Same-sex marriages now mainstream in Washington

Although the day of the Supreme Court same-sex marriage decision was historic, in some ways it was also business-as-usual for many same-sex couples, who've been able to wed in Washington State since 2012.
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SEATTLE -- Although the day of the Supreme Court same-sex marriage decision was historic, in some ways it was also business-as-usual for many same-sex couples, who've been able to wed in Washington state since 2012.

"This is my wife, isn't that wonderful?" said Jane Abbott Lighty as she sat next to Pete-e Petersen in their West Seattle home. They were among the first same-sex couples to get married in December 2012.

"It's just wonderful to know that other people are going to have this opportunity," she said.

They, like many others in Washington, are celebrating a historic moment, but the news just doesn't have quite the same punch as it did back when gay marriages were so new.

"It's the norm," said Bronwen Stevenson, who runs Shotgun Ceremonies, a wedding planning company in Pioneer Square. She and her business partner Sara Qureshi don't even bother keeping track of how many same-sex marriages they've done.

"We have so many," said Qureshi.

In some respects, the true significance of this day, at least in Seattle, is that something, which has generating so much attention and debate over the years, has become so perfectly ordinary, couples say.

"It can't be taken away, that's what I like. It's been legitimized by the highest court, wonderful," said Lighty.

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