That’s just a curiosity question, Father, but is it mandatory where you live that you see the actual document ? Here, we just ask to be sent a pic of the civil wedding act via email once the couple have it.
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Would not having a wedding recognized by the state be grounds for annulment?
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InThePew
Guest
The licence simply authorises me to marry them - I don’t need to see the original but accompanying it is a registration form (basically like what’s contained in the parish marriage register) which needs to be completed (date, place, etc) and signed by the couple, two witnesses and myself. This then needs to be returned to Births, Deaths and Marriages (which can be done by email). If I don’t send it in they’ll chase me to find out whether the wedding actually went ahead and, if so, why the registration form hasn’t been submitted.
Because they want to give themselves to each other and they have a right to the sacraments. Although admittedly not quite the same thing, my friend’s father had a literal deathbed annulment and convalidation.
Oh, I see.
Here, people have to be civilly married first, religious ceremonies have no legal value. The religious wedding registration just goes straight into the parish registers, the state doesn’t need it.
Thank you for the explanation, Father !
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Jen7
Guest
The romance of it
Can’t you just see it unfolding in the big screen?? Then the two hold hands while dying…Joking aside, you make a good point!
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Usige
Guest
The process for marriages also varies from state to state in the US. For instance, where I live the marriage can be “officiated” by a civil servant, a religious minister, or by the couple themselves.
Strictly speaking, the religious ceremony itself has no legal consequences. It is the signing of the marriage license (and its subsequent recording) that has civil effect. I’ve seen the license signed both before and after the religious ceremony, The main difference I believe between the US and many other countries is that ministers can fulfill the role of civil servants with regard to marriage.
Strictly speaking, the religious ceremony itself has no legal consequences. It is the signing of the marriage license (and its subsequent recording) that has civil effect. I’ve seen the license signed both before and after the religious ceremony, The main difference I believe between the US and many other countries is that ministers can fulfill the role of civil servants with regard to marriage.
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Phemie
Guest
In my province the licence is supposed to be in the officiant’s hands 4 days before the ceremony. As in Father’s case, the licence is accompanied by a long form that needs to be prepared with the couple’s names, date & place of birth, present address, their parents’ names & place of birth, everyone’s religion, the witnesses’ names & addresses, etc. After the ceremony it is signed, along with the marriage licence, by the bride & groom, witnesses, and the officiant. These two completed documents are returned to the issuer who, in smaller communities is an individual “licence issuer” but in larger communities is a government service centre.InThePew:
That’s just a curiosity question, Father, but is it mandatory where you live that you see the actual document ? Here, we just ask to be sent a pic of the civil wedding act via email once the couple have it.
A certificate of marriage is attached to the licence. This is filled in and signed by the officiant and given to the couple.
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TheLittleLady
Guest
In the US today, they would lose their civil authority to perform weddings and their Bishop would present some sort of consequences (once had a couple show up for wedding rehearsal on Friday evening and the Deacon asked for the marriage license. They did not know they needed one, it was after hours on a Friday. I spent a good amount of time on the phone, emergency calls to the Diocese experts, tracking down a personal phone number for a civil authority to make a plea for them to open up and issue a license, yeah, it was a BIG deal).
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Mainly because they love each other and want to.
I am unsure whether such a marriage would have any legal effect if there’s no civil license, but it’s probably possible in some jurisdictions that it might do something, like indicate intent of the partiies.
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tuffsmurf
Guest
Some states have common law marriage which does not require a marriage license in order to be valid and recognized by the state.
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mythbuster1
Guest
Actually, in that scenario, there is no requirement even to have a clergyman perform the Rite. The attending paramedics/EMTs would be sufficient witnesses.
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