Marriage

===State recognition===
When a marriage is performed and carried out by a government institution in accordance with the [[marriage law]]s of the jurisdiction, without religious content, it is a [[civil marriage]]. Civil marriage recognizes and creates the rights and obligations intrinsic to matrimony in the eyes of the state. Some countries do not recognize locally performed religious marriage on its own, and require a separate civil marriage for official purposes. Conversely, civil marriage does not exist in some countries governed by a [[Theocracy|religious legal system]], such as [[Saudi Arabia]], where marriages contracted abroad might not be recognized if they were contracted contrary to Saudi interpretations of [[Sharia|Islamic religious law]]. In countries governed by a [[Millet system|mixed secular-religious legal system]], such as [[Lebanon]] and [[Israel]], locally performed civil marriage does not exist within the country, which prevents interfaith and various other marriages that contradict religious laws from being entered into in the country; however, civil marriages performed abroad may be recognized by the state even if they conflict with religious laws.  For example, in the case of recognition of [[marriage in Israel]], this includes recognition of not only interfaith civil marriages performed abroad, but also overseas same-sex civil marriages.

In various jurisdictions, a civil marriage may take place as part of the religious marriage ceremony, although they are theoretically distinct. Some jurisdictions allow civil marriages in circumstances which are notably not allowed by particular religions, such as [[same-sex marriage]]s or [[civil union]]s.

The opposite case may happen as well. Partners may not have full juridical acting capacity and churches may have less strict limits than the civil jurisdictions. This particularly applies to minimum age, or physical infirmities.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

It is possible for two people to be recognized as married by a religious or other institution, but not by the state, and hence without the legal rights and obligations of marriage; or to have a civil marriage deemed invalid and sinful by a religion. Similarly, a couple may remain married in religious eyes after a civil divorce.

Most sovereign states and other jurisdictions limit legally recognized marriage to [[heterosexuality|opposite-sex]] couples and a diminishing number of these permit [[polygyny|polygyny marriage]], [[polyandry|polyandry marriage]], [[polygamy|polygamy marriage]], [[group marriage]], [[coverture|coverture marriage]], [[arranged marriage]]s, [[forced marriage]]s, [[child marriage]]s, [[cousin marriage]]s, [[sibling marriage]]s, [[teenage marriage]]s, [[avunculate marriage]]s and [[incest|incestuous marriage]]s. In modern times, a growing number of countries, primarily developed democracies, have lifted bans on, and have established legal recognition for, the marriages of [[interethnic marriage|interethnic]], [[interracial marriage|interracial]], [[interfaith marriage|interfaith]], [[interdenominational marriage|interdenominational]], [[inter-caste marriage|inter-caste]], [[transnational marriage|transnational]], and [[same-sex marriage|same-sex]] couples as well as immigrant couples, couples with an immigrant spouse, and other minority couples. In some areas, child marriages and polygamy may occur in spite of national laws against the practice.

====Marriage license, civil ceremony and registration====
{{Main|Wedding}}
[[File:Shinto married couple.jpg|thumb|upright|Couple married in a [[Shinto]] ceremony in [[Takayama, Gifu]] prefecture]]
[[File:Assyrian wedding, Mechelen.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A newly married [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] couple]]
A marriage is usually formalized at a wedding or marriage ceremony. The ceremony may be officiated either by a religious official, by a government official or by a state approved celebrant. In various European and Latin American countries, any religious ceremony must be held separately from the required civil ceremony. Some countries – such as [[Belgium]], [[Bulgaria]], [[France]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Romania]] and [[Turkey]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.wwhr.org/images/CivilandPenalCodeReforms.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061231021938/http://www.wwhr.org/images/CivilandPenalCodeReforms.pdf  |archive-date= 2006-12-31  |title=Turkish Civil and Penal Code Reforms from a Gender Perspective: The Success of two Nationwide Campaigns }}&nbsp;{{small|(6.21 MB)}} (p. 18)</ref> – require that a civil ceremony take place before any religious one. In some countries – notably the [[United States]], [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Norway]], and [[Spain]] – both ceremonies can be held together; the officiant at the religious and civil ceremony also serving as agent of the state to perform the civil ceremony. To avoid any implication that the state is "recognizing" a religious marriage (which is prohibited in some countries) – the "civil" ceremony is said to be taking place at the same time as the religious ceremony. Often this involves simply signing a register during the religious ceremony. If the civil element of the religious ceremony is omitted, the marriage ceremony is not recognized as a marriage by government under the law.

Some countries, such as Australia, permit marriages to be held in private and at any location; others, including [[England and Wales]], require that the civil ceremony be conducted in a place open to the public and specially sanctioned by law for the purpose. In England, the place of marriage formerly had to be a church or [[Register office (United Kingdom)|register office]], but this was extended to any public venue with the necessary licence. An exception can be made in the case of marriage by special emergency license (UK: licence), which is normally granted only when one of the parties is terminally ill. Rules about where and when persons can marry vary from place to place. Some regulations require one of the parties to reside within the jurisdiction of the register office (formerly parish).

Each religious authority has rules for the manner in which marriages are to be conducted by their officials and members. Where religious marriages are recognised by the state, the officiator must also conform with the law of the jurisdiction.

====Common-law marriage====
{{See also|Common-law marriage}}

In a small number of jurisdictions marriage relationships may be created by the operation of the law alone.<ref name="Nolo" /> Unlike the typical [[ceremonial marriage]] with legal contract, wedding ceremony, and other details, a [[common-law marriage]] may be called "marriage by habit and repute (cohabitation)." A de facto common-law marriage without a license or ceremony is legally binding in some jurisdictions but has no legal consequence in others.<ref name="Nolo">"Common Law Marriage FAQ." ''Nolo.'' 31 July 2009.</ref>

====Civil unions====
{{Main|Civil union}}
[[File:New York City Proposition 8 Protest outside LDS temple 20.jpg|thumb|left|Various advocates of same-sex marriage, such as this protester at a demonstration in New York City against [[California Proposition 8 (2008)|California Proposition 8]], consider [[civil unions]] an inferior alternative to legal recognition of same-sex marriage.<ref name="Towleroad">[http://www.towleroad.com/2008/11/we-did-it.html NYC Protest and Civil Rights March Opposing Proposition 8], [[Andy Towle]], Towleroad.com, 13 November 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.</ref>]]

A ''civil union'', also referred to as a ''civil partnership'', is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with [[Same-sex marriage in Denmark|Denmark]] in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in several countries in order to provide [[homosexuality|same-sex couples]] [[rights]], benefits, and [[Moral responsibility|responsibilities]] similar (in some countries, identical) to opposite-sex civil marriage. In some [[jurisdiction]]s, such as [[Same-sex marriage in Brazil|Brazil]], [[Civil union in New Zealand|New Zealand]], [[Same-sex marriage in Uruguay|Uruguay]], [[Recognition of same-sex unions in Ecuador|Ecuador]], [[Civil solidarity pact|France]] and the U.S. states of [[Same-sex marriage in Hawaii|Hawaii]] and [[Same-sex marriage in Illinois|Illinois]], civil unions are also open to opposite-sex couples.

===="Marriage of convenience"====
Sometimes people marry to take advantage of a certain situation, sometimes called a [[marriage of convenience]] or a sham marriage. In 2003, over 180,000 immigrants were admitted to the U.S. as spouses of [[Citizenship of the United States|U.S. citizens]];<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/yearbook/2003/2003IMMtables.pdf |title=Immigration to the United States: Fiscal years 1820–2003 }}&nbsp;{{small|(2.03&nbsp;MB)}}</ref> more were admitted as fiancés of US citizens for the purpose of being married within 90 days. These marriages had a diverse range of motives, including [[green card marriage|obtaining permanent residency]], securing an inheritance that has a marriage clause, or to enroll in health insurance, among many others. While all marriages have a complex combination of conveniences motivating the parties to marry, a marriage of convenience is one that is devoid of normal reasons to marry. In certain countries like Singapore sham marriages are punishable criminal offences.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sham marriage: Married on the day they met to prolong her stay |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/sham-marriage-married-the-day-they-met-prolong-her-stay-20140626|access-date=26 June 2014}}</ref>