Marriage License

What is a marriage license.

When you need license to do something it means either people in general are not mature enough to do it or it needs special skills, which are to be tested before you can be allowed to do it. So if you have license to do something it means you are different and special from the rest of the herd.

How do we decide when a person is mature enough to take a decision on his or her marriage? Would you approve of a marriage between two thirteen year olds? Since there may be difference in the point of view of people on this subject we need some guidelines to follow for the society to function in a harmonious way and so for marriages to be approved by the society we have marriage license.

A license for a marriage is permission offered by a legal authority that is either a church or state to perform the marriage between two people. Getting a license to marry first started in the middle Ages to stop marriage being illegal. And its no wonder today it has become a very mandatory requirement in most countries. It?s interesting to note that it all started with a custom known as ?calling the Bann?.

A public announcement of the marriage in the parish church of the concerned couple for three Sundays, prior to the event, and any objections to the marriage will be voiced during these sessions. Not good for those who wanted to keep their marriage secret or wanted to marry quickly. So they had to find a way out of this process.

There was a time when it was considered a status symbol to get a marriage license as it involved payment of money and only rich would consider it as an option. Though it is interesting to note that a marriage license is not a record of the marriage it?s merely permission for a marriage to take place.

Even the legal point of view for a marriage certificate is different in different countries. Some countries offer the marriage license without much fuss. But some go into deep investigations before they can approve a marriage. While some countries just require consent of both individuals involved and a written statement of no legal impediments to the marriage. While some countries make sure the marriage is healthy both legally and biologically.

Medical tests are performed, background checks are made of both individuals, criminal records are investigated and only after getting clearance on these issues a marriage license is given. It may be a wait for as long as 6 months. Considering that a marriage license was introduced so as to avoid publicity and delay it?s an irony that people have to wait for up to 6 months to get a marriage license.

On the lighter side of the issues it is said that marriage is an institution where a man loses his bachelors degree while a woman gains her masters. So isn?t getting a marriage license a proof of the dumbness of a guy? Or considering another statement that marriage is an arrangement for free sex for lifetime doesn?t getting a marriage license means a person is considered fit to perform the acts of sex. If marriages are really made in heaven why do we need approval of the state? As long as we are happy to get marry why should we care what the state thinks of it? It surely is not a grave crime to marry someone you like. Doesn?t getting a marriage license mean that I am not capable of making a good decision so the state makes the decision on whether I should marry or not.

Sounds absurd but our society today is in a stage where social policing has become mandatory. People are always interested in what others are doing and what the fault in them is. So even if marriage is a very private affair of yours the society feels they have business to poke their nose in it.

And the most important think to remember is that getting a marriage license is never a guarantee of a happy married life. Just like a driving license, acquiring one doesn?t mean a safe journey. So drive responsibly and live responsibly. Wish you all a happy married life.