What does this capacious word “marriage” mean?
Purely from a legal point of view, marriage is nothing more than a documentary registration in the relevant body - the registry office or, if deciphered, in the civil registry office. In Russia, there are mandatory conditions for marriage, as well as a certain procedure for registering marriages.
However, in the minds of most people, marriage is precisely a solemn ceremony, a magnificent celebration of the creation of a new unit of society, and the question of whether it is possible to get married without witnesses has not been properly addressed for a long time.
A wedding is a special celebration, and leaving it without one of the most traditional attributes on the part of those getting married seems truly blasphemous.
Marriage registration is an important event for the bride and groom.
Who can be witnesses at a wedding?
If a couple decides to get married in a church, the presence of witnesses is strictly necessary. They hold special wreaths over the heads of the newlyweds and support the heroes of the occasion throughout the ceremony.
In the case of a wedding, only baptized people with a breast cross can become witnesses (best men).
And even though from a legal point of view witnesses do not have any rights, their presence at the ceremony is desirable. Thanks to the help of faithful attorneys, the bride and groom will be able to make their lives easier on this joyful day by shifting organizational issues onto the shoulders of the witnesses!
So what might be the need for witnesses?
If previously the presence of witnesses when registering a marriage was mandatory - they signed on the documents along with the spouses and the registry office employees, then in our time there legal obligations on their part.
Nevertheless, this does not deny the fact that a considerable part of the worries during the celebration rests on their shoulders: they not only provide moral support to the newlyweds, but also perform a number of other important duties:
- on their important day for the newlyweds, they control the wedding rings, the bride’s bouquet, and all the documents that are so easy to forget in the bustle of the holiday;
- a female witness most often keeps an eye on the appearance of the bride and groom, promptly correcting the slightest flaws, be it a veil that has become tangled or a scarf that has come out of a breast pocket;
- a male witness often takes on administrative issues: for example, the order of cars in the motorcade, any issues with the restaurant, or even the placement of guests;
- in addition, they both take an active part in ongoing competitions; in the absence of a toastmaster, they often act as toastmaster themselves, organize buyouts, drawings, and other events, and also maintain the holiday atmosphere throughout the day.
When is the presence of third parties necessary?
Only one procedure requires the presence of witnesses - a wedding in a church. This process is also not regulated at the legal level, since this institution is separated from the state.
The rules of the ceremony are regulated by the church. The point is to receive blessings to start a family.
A wedding is a procedure far removed from legal relations. Therefore, taking certain actions and taking part in the process does not entail the assertion of marital rights and obligations.
Only the involvement of the registration authority and the preparation of an appropriate application entails legal consequences for the man and woman.
If the parties neglect the requirements of the current legislation and go only to church, then their relationship can be considered a civil marriage (cohabitation).
In such a situation, protecting the rights and interests of each party is difficult, since the obligations of the spouses to each other are not established.
Is it necessary to have witnesses present when registering a marriage?
No, from a legislative point of view, such an obligation is not assigned to either party . As mentioned earlier, this is nothing more than a tradition and, moreover, a sure way to make the process of holding a celebration easier for those getting married.
This issue is not regulated by law; only an indirect answer is given in accordance with the Federal Law “On Acts of Civil Status”, which states that only the signatures of the newlyweds and officials registering the marriage are entered into the record of the marriage act.
Signatures of other persons are not required - in some cases, marriage registration takes place quite modestly only in the presence of the bride and groom, as well as registry office employees.
REFERENCE
What documents are required to apply for marriage registration at the registry office? Find out in the next article.
The documents require the signatures of the spouses, as well as the registry office employees.
Where did the tradition come from?
In ancient times, witnesses were referred to as groomsmen and groomsmen, and since those times it was customary to invite them to the wedding. These guests were especially revered and respected, because they were the main guests at the wedding.
The friend was always involved in the matchmaking ceremony and its organization, and also came up with a ransom scenario and carefully came up with a food menu for the wedding table. The girl chosen as a groomsman was one who was well acquainted with all the customs and traditions; in addition, she had to be playful and active in order to be able to amuse the guests and create a festive atmosphere for the wedding.
Therefore, the choice of groomsmen was treated very strictly and with all responsibility, because this is the key to a fun and memorable wedding. Even noble people, with their status and wealth, took a long time to choose a groom for the bride.
Over the course of many years, such titles as “buddy” and “buddy” began to fade more and more into the background.
This is due to the fact that in the last century, official registration of marriages began to be carried out by the registry office, since churches were prohibited. Therefore, the wedding too.
At that time, a mandatory condition for marriage was the presence of a witness. They also signed the document, just like the newlyweds. But now such requirements do not exist.
Currently, the presence of witnesses at a wedding is not mandatory; their presence has no legal force.
Catholics call the groomsman the best man. Its purpose is practically no different from the mission of an ordinary witness, however, there are still some differences.
At one time in Russia, a witness was also called a best man, but still this name did not gain popularity, which is why to this day a groomsman is called a witness.
Today it is difficult to imagine any wedding without a witness, because they add an atmosphere of celebration and solemnity to this event. They are considered “guardian angels” whose task is to protect and help the future husband and wife.
Registration of marriage with witnesses - is it possible?
After reading this article, the opposite question may certainly arise: if the presence of witnesses during the registration in the registry office is an unregulated tradition, then is it even possible to register a marriage with witnesses ?
There is no direct prohibition on this in the legislation, and since this has long become a familiar procedure for registration authorities, the presence of witnesses when registering a marriage is in no way prohibited.
IMPORTANT
There are exceptions in this area: some organizations refuse to allow outsiders directly into the office where documents are drawn up and all the necessary signatures are placed. But such a problem occurs very, very rarely.
What should a witness be like at a wedding? The charm of activity
A witness, who is also a bridesmaid, is a person in the “splits” position .
Firstly, her main task is to be always and everywhere with the hero of the occasion. Help, support, advise, negotiate, stop the motorcade in its tracks and enter the burning banquet hall.
The bride's desire is the law for her witness
Secondly, she needs to memorize and follow all wedding signs if the bride is superstitious and considers their fulfillment to be the key to family happiness.
Thirdly, with a joyful smile, take part in competitions, songs and dances, which are arranged by an overly active wedding host.
Fourthly, with all this activity, do not overshadow the bride herself with either charisma or appearance.
What should a bridesmaid look like? Flawless! But by no means brighter. Dress, makeup, hairstyle, jewelry and other attributes of the groom's image should only highlight and support the image of the newlywed. The future bridesmaid can find out how and with what to properly decorate herself here.
Identical bridesmaid dresses are a good solution for a themed wedding
Choosing a witness is a responsible matter
In order not to make mistakes with candidates for the role of witnesses, there are several small criteria, again traditional ones :
- Absolutely anyone can become a witness, but most often it is a relative or a close friend of the couple;
- it is advisable to choose an adult person, someone who could help with organizational issues during the celebration;
- traditionally, a woman performs this function on the bride’s side, and a man on the groom’s side;
- witnesses must have organizational and even oratorical skills;
- Of course, people who are so important during the festive hour are distinguished from other guests by noticeable red ribbons, indicating their status.
REFERENCE
You can also learn more about marriage and divorce in one of the articles on our website.
Witnesses will always help you at the wedding and will be by your side on this exciting day.
Let's sum it up
Above, we have already talked about the importance and role of the groomsmen and groomsmen in a wedding ceremony. But there are still several reasons:
- witnesses at a wedding have already become traditions and a kind of symbol of celebration;
- Witnesses are responsible for a large number of problems in organizational matters; this greatly simplifies the fate of the bride and groom;
- Close people will always be able to support you at the right time, give practical advice and simply smooth out the emotional state of the couple.
Since the presence of witnesses has now become legally optional, each couple chooses independently whether they need girlfriends/best men or not.
Wedding without guests
Reviews from those people who celebrated their weddings without witnesses, toastmaster, in the circle of close people and relatives, are only positive.
Young people are now increasingly striving to unify and simplify wedding events. Moreover, such a development of a wedding celebration is logical when it is a wedding without a ransom , i.e. in the absence of the main tradition of the celebration. The main reasons for such a ceremony are as follows:
- young people simply want to be among those closest to them, and they need a minimum of people present, mainly parents and closest relatives (siblings);
- or the newlyweds are generally left alone, at home or in a restaurant; for some period, parents and relatives are present, but the newlyweds spend most of the time alone.
Any wedding is a celebration of two hearts, and only they can decide how to conduct it, since this event will remain in their memory forever.
Wedding without toastmaster
The role of the toastmaster at a wedding is determined not only by the fact that he must entertain the guests, but also establish relaxed communication between relatives. After all, it is the wedding that brings together relatives who rarely see each other. In addition, guests who either don’t know each other well or don’t know each other gather here. It is the toastmaster who can establish this external contact.
But modern youth are increasingly striving for unification, and they are satisfied with the scale of a small wedding, where there is no place for the toastmaster. But even in this case, the celebration can be organized cheerfully and in such a way that it will be remembered forever.
To organize such a wedding well, you need to do the following:
- find a presenter among your friends who has a sociable character, a healthy sense of humor and some artistic abilities;
- the presenter needs to select a team of 2-3 people, one of whom will take on the role of a DJ;
- you should draw up a plan for the event itself, which includes registration at the registry office, photography and video filming, dancing, toasting, and competitions.
Editor's choice: Beige wedding, fashion trends with photos
It is very important to time everything so that all stages of the wedding celebration can be accommodated within reasonable limits. Because while time lasts forever for guests, the newlyweds want to be alone as quickly as possible.
Starting a family
Today, the procedure for creating a family is regulated by the country’s Family Code. To enter into a marriage union, the following conditions must be met:
- the age of majority of the spouses;
- the newlyweds do not have a registered family union;
- lack of family ties (even in the case of adoption, marriage is prohibited);
- full legal capacity of the newlyweds.
