Marriage is a big decision, one that involves lots of thought and preparation. When you plan to get married officially, the only single document that is important to you is a marriage certificate. And a marriage certificate is an official recorded document issued by a governmental authority that proves that the couple listed on the marriage certificate have a legal marriage. A marriage certificate shows that you hold a right to each others property, or perhaps, better, that what each of you posses, you have in common. Since 5 November 2007, following the commencement of Part 6 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, the registration procedure for marriage is the same whether you are marrying in a Registry Office or by religious ceremony. A marriage certificate usually contains who married who, when they were married, where they were married, who married them, and who was there.
Many countries of the world issue certificates for marriage once the people have met the criteria necessary to qualify for the issuance of the document. Marriage certificates are recorded only in the county where the marriage takes place. In order to be acceptable as a legal document, a Certified Marriage Certificate needs to show the state seal or be imprinted with a seal/stamp. There are different types of marriage certificates. There is the usual public marriage certificate, where your marriage is a part of the public record. There also exists a Confidential Marriage Certificate which is not part of public records. A confidential marriage does not relieve you of any legal responsibilities under the marriage laws of your state.
Marriage certificates are crucial documents. Marriage certificates are issued using the information from the original Registration of Marriage, completed at the time of marriage. There are many situations where you will need extra copies of your marriage certificates. A legal copy of a marriage certificate cannot be issued without proper purpose. This information is needed to request a copy of a marriage certificate is the relationship between the person named on the record and the person making the request, the reason for needing the record, the full name of the groom as listed on the marriage certificate, the full name of the bride including the maiden name, the date of the marriage and the county in which the marriage occurred.
Most frequently a marriage certificate may be obtained by the bride or by the groom, a parent of either the bride or the groom, or by a child of their marriage (natural or adoptive). A party to a marriage, or a person with written authorization by the couple, can order a marriage certificate. You can obtain a small marriage certificate (it contains the full names of the couple or individuals, place of marriage, date of marriage, registration number and date of registration), a large marriage certificate (it contains the full names of the couple or individuals, their birthdates and birthplaces, date of marriage, place of marriage, registration number, and date of registration) and genealogy certificate.
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