SL Marriage

I'm just discovering SL and it's mind-blowing!
Question: If two people have a SL wedding performed by someone in SL who in RL is a Minister, is that a real, binding marriage??
Thanks,
AJ LeHane

I would imagine only if those involved were in agreement that they were really, actually getting married - and I think most places require you to register that, yes? - and not just playing at it in SL.

Only if you kill chickens during the ceremony.

Just make sure you and your spouse understand what a marriage in SL means to you both. It can be a fun way to spend some time, an open relationship, or a very serious commitment, its up to you. Just make sure you both know what your getting into with each other so there no misunderstandings after you say, "I do".

Well in Illinois law (the only marriage laws I know about) you have to have a marriage certificate then have a cermony either with an ordained minster (or the equvilant in your religion) or a judge. There isn't a requirement that these people be in the same room and since you can get married by phone, mailing in the forms needed for your marriage certificate, then I don't see why you couldn't get legally married by internet.

But the ceremony alone doesn't make you legally married. You have to have a marriage certificate. That's why two people who are married to other people in RL can be married in SL and not arrested for bigomy.

LOL! Finding out you were legally married as a result of your SL romance would be a great surprise!

But in reality a real-life marriage starts with a symbol of commitment far more ancient and deeper than speaking mere wedding vows. I of course mean... paperwork. I don't think anybody is married until all the proper forms are signed and notarized.



Edit to add: Poop. Kasandra beat me to it.

I volunteer for this experiment.

Only if Aimee is the bride

Here is an interesting thought to contemplate. In the US common law marriage is recognized in:

Alabama
Colorado
District of Columbia
Georgia (if created before 1/97)
Idaho (if created before 1/96)
Iowa
Kansas
Montana
New Hampshire (for inheritance purposes only)
Ohio (if created before 10/91)
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania (if created before 9/03)
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Utah

Each state has its own rules defining the validity of a common law marriage. Essentially the couple needs to hold itself out to the world as married for a legally determined length of time. Once established, a common law marriage is legally binding and a legal divorce is required to terminate it.

MARRIAGE?? ACK!! don't do it, don't do it!!! Run, run away!!

I'm ordaine. So if anyone wants to get married....


I also do Handfasting, Affirmation of Love , and Baby Naming Ceremonies.

I think in general common law marriages usually require cohabitation.

Im not sure that spending tons of time in SL, and cohabitating in SL count ;p.

Actually we should hope it doesnt, since in many states its technically illegal for a man and a woman to cohabitate that are not married. (luckily not an often enforced law)

That all being said ... lets assume two people in SL .. applied correctly for marraige certificate in one of their states, went through the correct procedures .. and were married by an ordained minister (who was legal in said state) and FILED the correct paperwork after. Then they would be married i think in fact, not in virtual reality.

Of course many religous/cultural beliefs require the marriage to be consumated or it would be easily Annulled. That might be tricky if SL av/cyber sex werent to count.


Another wrinkle i can think of ..
In Las Vegas and some other places .. its possible to get married much easier paperwork wise... if someone located in Las Vegas .. with the appropruate RL credencials and paperwork available, were to set up one of those Las Vegas style quickie marriage deals .. would THAT be legal marriage .. since flying to Las Vegas and gettign married IS legally recognized in other states.

Maybe yet another --
In some countries .. such as much of Canada, same sex marriages/unions are legal ... thus could a SL same sex couple get married legally in SL?, even though they would have a huge difficulty doing so in real life. "Ladies and gentlemen please log on to SL so we can meet with the minister for the cerimony"

think the ones others have suggested and these are interesting .. since surely either in SL or another future virtual world .. people will become legally married at some point.

Aweee I have a beautiful white dress all picked out too.


What?


Yes I *DID* say WHITE... What OF IT?

I was biting my tongue and trying not to reply to this... but....

Yes its true, the only thing Aimee spreads is her wings.

There are a lot of reasons this is not legal (valid)

1. People getting married need to be in the same state (including the minister)

2. Even if they are it is (at least in Texas) not the ceremony that binds the marriage (that is for religious and camcorder purposes. It's when the marriage license is signed that the marriage (legal marriage) happens.

BTW before anyone flames my "opinion" I am an ordained minister so

-Blueman Steele

Give a shout if you're ordained!

YO!

hmmm is the requirement they have to be in the same state specific to Texas? (of course possibly in other states as well)

i seem to remember hearing before of people getting married over the phone or short wave radio .. during wartime .. or is this some special provision?

Arent marriage laws more liberal in some places and less in others? i dont think whats legal in Texas is necesarrily law of the land everywhere (vegas for example) - hehe not trying to make that a flame.

I do remember in the 80's near where i lived then, was a 300 pound female stripper ordained minister who advertized to do weddings --- so the rules for becoming an ordained minister must be more liberal in some places also =p

as far as signing the liceses , etc .. yes that would have to be done legally somehow .. the question was do all peopel being married and the ordained minister all have to be there .. or are witness' local to the newly married acceptable legally?

Heh im kinda more interested in whether it can be done legally (i assume marriage laws are liberal enough SOMEWHERE in the world that it could) ... then whether its a good idea.

LOL i dont think getting married legally in virtual form only is a good idea

a "non legal" virtual marriage of course can be a wonderful thing. And everyone who has found that sort of happiness should consider themselves blessed.

^^

Yeah, marriage laws are very different from state to state. Hell, now with gay marriage, you can be married in one state and the next state won't recognize it. Which is actually unconstitutional, but anyway.

Getting ordained isn't different from state to state but from religion to religion. Some religions you need the church to back you, some you take vows and there is a big ceremony, some you can fill out a form on the internet and you are ordained.

Yes it can. Hell IL law isn't that liberal and it can be done here. Two people who have never met can be married. But some states require consumation before a marriage is legal, though short of never meeting the person there is no way to prove whether a marriage has been consumated or not. I guess thats why a lot of states changed that rule.

I'm no minister. Just ordained. Legal in most states...