The court upholds Proposition 8 by a 6-1 vote but the marriages performed before the measure took effect remain legal and valid.

The marriage performed under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 is a civil contract and accordingly, there need be no rites or ceremonial requirements.

This was the first of two marriages on Aug. 22, and the 36th marriage performed at the prison this year, in what has become a common prison occurrence.

While not accorded the theological significance of a celestial marriage, the LDS Church does-to a large extent-recognize civil marriages or marriages performed within other religious traditions.

But the court also ruled that marriages performed after its 2008 decision and before the passage of Proposition 8 remained legally valid.

I suppose," he said dubiously, "that the marriage I performed isna actually valid as such.

The act allowed ministers belonging to other churches to register marriages performed in their churches with the government, thus granting legal status to those marriages.

Polygamous marriages legally performed in another country where the law allows it are not recognized for pension, immigration or citizenship purposes.