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when are you officially 'man and wife' (aka married) ?
is it when you get down on one knee and propose to the woman if she will be your wife and marry you, and she says yes, and then you slip on that ring on her finger ?
or is it when you go through your traditional wedding ceremony at your place of worship and whoever it may be (the priest, bishop, mullah, pandit, rabbi etc ) pronounces you as 'man and wife' ?
12 Answers
- TrishLv 54 weeks ago
I'm pretty sure after you take your vows then consummate the marriage at least the Bible says you have to consummate the marriage before you are officially man and wife.
- RajaLv 74 weeks ago
All what you have stated is part of a marriage ceremony .In certain countries in addition to the marriage ceremony the marriage is registered with the Registrar of Marriage in order to give legal effect .
- Common SenseLv 74 weeks ago
You are married once you go through the steps to have an officiant preform a marriage ceremony. You can get married without hosting a huge party. That would a reception with invited guests.
Oh, by the way ... the saying " man and wife " is out of style because to have someone pronounce a man a man on the day he gets married is ridiculous. He has beena man all along, right? Sure, pronounce her the wife because that is appropriate, considering the purpose of the ceremony. Therefore the only and correct way to say it is "husband and wife ". Ahem.
- dripLv 74 weeks ago
In the US. Technically it is when your signed wedding license has been filed with the state. They then send you a copy of your wedding certificate
- ?Lv 74 weeks ago
It's when you're pronounced married by the officiate. Of course it can't be when a proposal happens as some couples break up before the wedding or just continue on as "fiance/fiancee" for decades.
- 熊冰冰Lv 74 weeks ago
The proposal is legally irrelevant. The ring is legally irrelevant. You are married when you have fulfilled the legal requirements for marriage. In English-speaking countries, that basically means:
1. Being two people legally able to marry, you have applied for and received a marriage license.
2. You have exchanged consents (ie, I, X take you, Y to be my spouse) in the presence of someone legally authorised to perform marriages and the required witness(es).
In practical terms, there's also some paperwork to be signed and submitted. Whether you have a traditional/religious ceremony or a non-religious one is, legally speaking, irrelevant. People who are married in church by a priest are exactly as married as people married by a civil celebrant, marriage commissioner, or JP.
- ?Lv 74 weeks ago
You're legally married when you sign a wedding license, and or when you submit the license for a marriage certificate.
When he proposes, you're not married but you are engaged until you decide to get married.
- KellyLv 74 weeks ago
It's when all the legal paperwork has been signed, it becomes official after your officiant turns it in to the courthouse/city hall (whomever issued it).
We went with "husband and wife" because well, he was already a man.
- Anonymous4 weeks ago
It's when you sign the certificate to legally join you together (legally, anyway)
- Anonymous4 weeks ago
when you sign the marriage papers.....