Under the Indian Christian Marriage Act of 1872, Christian marriages in India must be performed by a minister or priest in a church with at least two witnesses present. After the ceremony, the officiant records the marriage and issues a certificate. For a marriage to be valid under the act, one or both parties must be Christian and certain age and consent requirements must be met. The parties must apply to the local authority where they reside to register the marriage and receive an acknowledgment slip as proof.

1. SUBMITTED BY:
NIKITA RATHI
BBA LLB 2ND YEAR
B-30

2.  Under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872,
Christian marriages in India are performed by a
Minister or Priest in a church. After the marriage is
performed the minister or priest enlists the
marriage and issues a marriage certificate, thereby
endorsing the marriage. A marriage, performed
earlier by a Priest or Minister of the Church, can
likewise be enrolled, in the register by
the registrar of marriages. In order to get a
marriage registered, it is incumbent on each party
to the marriage to make an application to the
concerned authority located within its place of
residence.

3. In order to constitute a valid marriage under the act, it is a
requirement that either one or both parties are Christians. Unless
one of the parties to the marriage is governed by its own personal
law which forbids such a marriage on the grounds of prohibited
degrees of relationship, thereby rendering the marriage as void
and redundant under the act. To constitute a legitimate marriage
under the act the following factors have to be complied with:-
 The bridegroom must not be under twenty-one years and
the bride must not be under eighteen years of age respectively;
 Consent must be free and voluntary and not obtained by
misrepresentation of facts, compulsion or undue influence;
 Neither party should have a spouse living at the time of marriage;
 Marriage must be performed in the presence of at least two
reliable witnesses, by a person licensed to grant a certificate to the
marriage.

4. A Christian Marriage is performed between the
parties to the marriage according to the rituals
considered essential and proper as per Minister or
Priest performing the marriage. The marriage
rituals require the mandatory presence of two
witnesses apart from the minister or the priest
performing the marriage. If a marriage has not
been performed within two months after the
issuance of the certificate of notice, such a marriage
cannot be performed after the lapse of the two
month period, and a fresh certificate of notice
would have to be applied for in order to solemnize
the marriage.

5. An application for registration of marriage is made by
the parties to the concerned authority in whose
Jurisdiction either party has been residing. Marriage is
registered in the Marriage Register, by the Registrar
who was present and performed the marriage of the
couple. The acknowledgement slip of the registration is
signed by both the parties to the marriage along with
their witnesses and is attached to the register as a proof
that the marriage was registered. These
acknowledgement slips are sent out at the end of the
month to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and
Marriages. Indian Christian marriages can also be
endorsed under a special provision without a prior
notice.

6.  Complete application form;
 Passport Size photographs,
 The Marriage Certificate issued by the Minister
or the Priest who performed the wedding,
 Two photographs of the wedding rituals along
with the wedding invite;
 Residence and age proof of either party to the
marriage;
 An affidavit certifying the mental and marital
status of both parties.