civil marriage
State-officiated union
A civil marriage is a marriage performed by a government official rather than a religious authority.
The ceremony typically takes place at a courthouse, city hall, or other secular venue and follows legal requirements rather than religious traditions.
Civil marriages carry full legal recognition regardless of the couple's religious beliefs or lack thereof.
They opted for a civil marriage at the county clerk's office.
Not involving worship
- courthouseLegal proceedings venue
- city hallSeat of local government
- registry officeCivil marriage and records bureau
- judgeOne who decides
magistrate · government · state · secular humanist · town hall · municipal · registrar · public official
Ceremony presider
- vowsSolemn binding promises
- ringsCircular bands worn
- witnessesThose who observe events
- signingInscribing one's name
registry · courthouse · reception · wedding · nuptials · bride · groom · exchange
Shared business arrangement
- bondBinding tie or connection
- unionJoining into one
- vowsSolemn binding promises
- fidelityLoyalty or exactness
devotion · loyalty · companionship · love · trust · promise · dedication · support
Formal grant of permission
- contractEnforceable written agreement
- certificateFormal written attestation
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- prenuptialBefore the wedding
annulment · divorce · alimony · spouse · common-law · bigamy · cohabitation · affidavit
nonreligious
Not involving worship
- courthouseLegal proceedings venue
- city hallSeat of local government
- registry officeCivil marriage and records bureau
judge · magistrate · government · state · secular humanist · town hall · municipal · registrar · public official · civic
officiant
Ceremony presider
signing · registry · courthouse · reception · wedding · nuptials · bride · groom · exchange · declaration
partnership
Shared business arrangement
fidelity · devotion · loyalty · companionship · love · trust · promise · dedication · support · respect
license
Formal grant of permission
- contractEnforceable written agreement
- certificateFormal written attestation
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
prenuptial · annulment · divorce · alimony · spouse · common-law · bigamy · cohabitation · affidavit · documentation
spouse
Married partner
couple · newlyweds · betrothed · fiancé · fiancée · bride · groom · wedded · marital · conjugal
- weddingwedding, wedding ring, marry, wedding ceremony, wedding rings
- marriagebride, groom, wedding, husband, wife
- family lawchild custody, child support, alimony, family court, divorce petitions
- church-statechurch-state, separation, church-state separation, establishment clause, religious accommodation
- registry officeregistrar, birth certificate, death certificate, vital records, public records
- African lawconstitutional court, indigenous law, high court, court of appeal, attorney general
civil marriagechurch wedding
Marriage ceremony in religious building
religious marriage · church ceremony · religious ceremony · temple marriage · holy matrimony
civil marriagecommon-law marriage
Partnership treated as wedlock
cohabitation · domestic partnership · living together · handfasting · commitment ceremony
marriage, civil, civilian, civilized, civilization, uncivil, civility, civilize, civilians