Nobody knows for certain how many Maryland couples are affected by the bill's defeat. In a statistic that experts say they think is low, the 2000 census counted 11,000 Maryland households headed by same-sex couples.

For now, same-sex marriages legally performed in other jurisdictions, including the District, are recognized by the state under an opinion issued last year by state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D).

Some couples say that's good enough for now, and they will continue to wait for a legal same-sex marriage in Maryland.

"We'll be back again next year," said Jennifer Monti, 30, a Baltimore doctor who had a commitment ceremony with Alli