Marriage

Laws concerning marriage. A man and woman must follow certain laws when they marry. The

United States and Canada have basically the same marriage laws. Neither nation has federal_marriage laws, but each state and province has its own regulations.

In all except four states, both the man and woman must be at least 18 years old to marry without_parental consent. Nebraska and Wyoming require a couple to be at least 19. Mississippi and Rhode

Island have a minimum age of 21. Most states allow people to marry as young as 16 with parental_consent. In some states, a person under age 16 needs a judge's permission to marry.

According to law, both the man and woman must freely consent to marry. If a person is forced or

tricked into marrying against his or her will, a judge will annul (cancel) the marriage.

State laws prohibit close relatives from marrying each other. Laws also forbid a person to marry if he

or she is married to someone else. A person who marries a second time while a first marriage is still_in effect commits the crime of bigamy.

Some states permit a couple to marry even if the bride or groom cannot be present at the wedding_ceremony. However, another person must serve as a proxy (substitute) for the absent bride or_groom. This type of marriage is called marriage by proxy.

In nearly all states, a couple must have a marriage license to marry. Some states require both the_man and the woman to have a blood test before they can obtain a marriage license. Several states_test to determine if a person has syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease . Other states test the blood_for immunity to rubella. A few states require both tests. In some states, both the man and the_woman must also have a medical examination before they can get a marriage license.

Most states require a waiting period of three to five days between the day a couple apply for a_license and the day they marry. This period gives both people time to make sure they want to marry.

The waiting period developed from a Roman Catholic custom that required a couple to announce

their engagement publicly on each of the three Sundays before the wedding day. Between the first_announcement and the wedding, anyone who believed that the couple should not marry was_expected to say so. Today, some couples announce their engagement at church services or through_church bulletins. Such announcements are called banns.

If an unmarried couple live together as husband and wife, a court may declare them married after a_certain period of time. The time period varies among the states that permit such common-law

marriages. It is usually several years. A couple do not have to have a license or wedding ceremony_for a common-law marriage.

Most states have laws forbidding people of the same sex to marry. However, many homosexual_couples establish long-term relationships that are similar to marriage and consider themselves_married.

Wedding ceremonies and customs. Most wedding ceremonies involve two requirements. First, the_man and woman must say that they want to become husband and wife. Second, the ceremony must_have witnesses, including the official who marries the couple. If the couple have a religious

ceremony, it is conducted by a member of the clergy, such as a minister, priest, or rabbi. If a couple_are married in a civil (nonreligious) ceremony, a judge or some other authorized official performs it.

During the days of long sea voyages, the captain of a ship was authorized to conduct a marriage_ceremony while the ship was at sea.

Many couples prefer a traditional religious ceremony, though some people depart from custom.

Some even write their own wedding service. A traditional marriage ceremony begins with the_bridesmaids and ushers walking slowly down a center aisle to the altar. They stand on each side of_the altar throughout the ceremony. The groom enters and waits for the bride at the altar. The bride_then walks down the aisle with her father, another male relative, or a family friend. She wears a_white dress and veil and carries a bouquet. At the altar, the bride and groom exchange marriage