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If you wish a simple wedding or are planning to marry outside your caste and culture, civil marriage will help you tie this eternal bond to a legal one. Let us learn about the civil marriage requirements in brief: In an ideal world, love culminates into marriage. But does this happen in every case? Unfortunately, it is yet not easy given the intangible stringent boundaries Indian society and its leaders have set. Culture and social barriers often play spoil sport for young couples in love. Civil marriage is like a knight in shining armor for people who have to face unbreakable societal barriers to unite with their beloveds. The legal age of marriage in India is 18 for girls and 21 for boys. However, despite the right to freedom to marry after this age, the orthodox society forms a major issue for a lot of people. So, Indian constitution comes to their rescue. They can be legally married on their own will, irrespective of what the society says. What Exactly is a Civil Marriage? To put it in simple words, civil marriages are those marriages which happen by signing a marriage certificate rather than through traditional religious ceremonies. The marriage takes place in the marriage registration office in the presence of the marriage registrar. What Does the Law Say? There are two laws which govern marriages in India. Hindu Marriage Act 1956 is applicable to marriages which happen religiously. It does not apply to civil marriages and marriages between different communities. However, there are certain leniencies in this act. If you are a Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh, you can marry a person from any of these four communities under Hindu Marriage Act. In fact, Special Marriage Act 1954 can also act as an alternative for Hindu Marriage Act in these cases. But, if you marry a Muslim, Parsi, Jew or a Christian, only Special Marriage Act applies. Formalities which Need to be Fulfilled Before Civil Marriage Apart from meeting the basic age criterion, it is necessary for at least one of the persons getting married to live within the jurisdiction of marriage registration office. The couple needs to submit address proof through their voter ID card, ration card, passport/visa or driving license and age proof through their birth certificate, school certificate or passport. Four passport size photographs each of the bride and groom are required. After these documents are submitted in the marriage registration office, the marriage notice is put up on the marriage notice board for 30 days. In some places, a short notice about the marriage is published in the local news paper edition for a day. If there is no opposition to the marriage from any party within the 30 days duration, the couple can sign the marriage certificate and get married in the presence of marriage registrar. If there is any opposition either from families or any third party, the court grants another 30 days to resolve the opposition, after which the couple can be married provided the dispute is solved. Three witnesses should also sign the certificate in all cases. The officer enters the certificate in the marriage book. The marriage is considered legal after this entry. Referring to a reputable wedding planner in India can also help you to take the right decision. The author of this article is associated with BollywoodShaadis.com, providing excellent wedding planning tips on wedding dress styles, venues, decorations, groom's & bride's health, jewellery, etc.
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