Funny how a number of folks don't seem to realize this but:
This already exists.
If you go down to the Judge and get "Married". That is a legal partnership.
You have filled out papers indicating your legal partnership and why you are forming it. It is legally binding and all laws and rights that go with that partnership now apply. Your ""Marriage License"" is your incorporation papers.
All that has to be done is that it be witnessed by someone who is authorized by the Sate to do so. In the case of a Civil wedding, the Judge does this.
In the case of a Religious wedding. The Minister or other prime religious representative performs both the Religious Marriage (""Rite""), and is a is the witness for the State.
In most cases, ""The Church"" ( used here to incorporate your fav religion) will not recognize a Civil Wedding as a "Marriage" because no rite was performed.
However, it is still legally binding in the State where it was performed.
So you see, they are already separate issues.
This blow up about ""Gay Marriage"" has got absolutely nothing what so ever to do with the Church, and everything to do with what these folks perceive as ""Equality"" under the law. The fact of the matter is that they are not being discriminated against, anymore than a Hetro couple that has not decided to become a legal entity is discriminated against.
But they want the right to be able to inherit property, to have some say in "community assets" (Fancy term for combined income and property), to adopt children (Or raise their own from a past Hetro arrangement). And the part which affects the rest of us, is the part where they want tax breaks, health care benefits from their partners workplace.
I guess I'm not too wowed about this costing taxpayers money, but have come around to the idea that though this isn't a real "Moral" thing from my personal perspective, it's probably the best for the long term interest of the community as a whole to have the ability for any 2 humans to be able to enter into a legal Union.
Still gives me the heebe jeebies when I see two guys holding hands.