You can have the most beautiful "church" wedding, with all the emotional and religious solemnity...but if you haven't gone to the Civil Registry first for the civil ceremony, you won't be legally married!
Here in Ecuador, only the civil (secular, no-frills) ceremony confers legality to the marriage. For this reason, couples must plan for this...hopefully in advance! Many plan their church wedding for Saturday afternoon, and then hop down to the Civil Registry that morning...and if there are problems with paperwork or anything else, they lag way behind, and the guests in the church may end up waiting...and waiting...and waiting!
We went three days before the religious ceremony...just in case! There was a slight problem with some document I should have had but didn't, but it was worked out, and we proceeded to what you see in the photo above, in front of the officiator, with our witnesses at either side. This ceremony also has the basic vows and "do you take this man/woman", etc. With the filling out of all the forms, the requisite stamps and seals, etc., our names were inscribed in the official archives...and we walked out completely married!
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In a way, it's sort of like becoming a believer in Christ. You can go to church and go through all the beautiful rites and participate in the worship and fellowship...but if you haven't personally decided to give your heart and life to God and accept the grace of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross for your salvation, you can't call yourself a true Christian. It is the legal transaction between you and God - not the "ceremonialness" of "religion" - that guarantees that your name will be inscribed in the official archives of the Book of Life!
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"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." (Ephesians 1:13)
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