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| | Marriage license - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
 | | Licenses to marry began in the Middle Ages, when their purpose was to give permission for a marriage which would otherwise be illegal (for instance, if the necessary period of notice for the marriage had not been given). |
 | | In others, valid marriages can occur without a license (for example, in places where licenses are not mandatory, in cases where a couple obtain a pardon for having married without license, or in jurisdictions permitting common law marriage, by cohabitation and representation as husband and wife). |
 | | This involved the public announcement of a forthcoming marriage, in the couple's parish church, for three Sundays, prior to the event, and gave an opportunity for any objections to the marriage to be voiced (for example, if one of the parties was already married). |
| en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Marriage_license (969 words) |
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