A civil marriage is not hard to define. It is the union of two people legally for life, without any religious affiliations. A government or a civil official will be present to officiate it. It is a wedding that meets all the legal requirements of the state or country. In some countries, couples are required to hold a civil ceremony first and get the legal business sorted out. Later, they can have a church wedding which will include more fun fare and traditions. How to have your wedding is a personal decision. There are many advantages that come with a civil marriage. Some of the advantages include the following. You do not have to worry about any legality because; it ensures that that everything is right. If you wish to have a simple ceremony, the civil option is the best. You just need the presence of a few witnesses and a civil official like a judge to join you together. You can have your wedding within a short notice too. The traditional wedding will require months of planning but, all that matters is the certificate. Thousands of singles go through the civil marriage never to regret it.
Remember, you always have the option of throwing a big wedding anytime. Therefore, you really have nothing to loose. As a result, the partners who get married through a civil system will have legal rights and obligations. In the United States, the government issues rights to religious leader to perform religious marriages that are recognized by the state. Ministers, priest, rabbi and others will therefore have the authority to oversee a marriage ceremony. For a marriage to be considered legal there must be an issuance of a marriage license by civil authorities. Above this the marriage needs to be endorsed or cleared by them to proceed. Gay people also enjoy the right to civil marriage. However, theirs is not a marriage but rather referred to as, a civil union. There are several states that have given same sex couples equal right to get in to civil unions and they include Vermont, Connecticut and others. Countries like Canada have also granted their gay population the right to civil unions.
Countries like the UK do not recognize same sex marriages. They are of the opinion that a family is not defined by same gender parents rather by a man and a woman who can produce offspring. If you are gay, it is vital that you find out what your state or country thinks about it. If a civil union is not allowed, you need to follow the law. Many couples have gone to places where the civil union is legal to get married. Couples have had difficulties proving to their governments that they are married. If you want to do this, know what the implications are and most importantly, do everything within the legal boundaries. If you need to get more information on this, the Internet will give you more details. Do not forget to search for the relevant information from your area of residence.