[afraidfortherepublic]

The marriage license itself is viewed an unnecessary by the state. The "common law" marriage recognizes that the reality of a union precedes the intrusion of the state.

That would noly be true in states that recognize common law marriage. Most do not. Some recognize common law marriages if they occurred in another state that recognizes them.

[bourbon]

I thought y'all might be interested in this article. It contains an excellent, in-depth history of laws regarding marriage in our legal system. You may want to read it if you have time.

"The Meanings of Marriage," by John Witte (Law Prof. at Emory Univ.).