There are many ways to define marriage, just as there are many reasons why people get married. The most common definition describes marriage as a social union that creates kinship in the eyes of the law. In other words, the newlyweds are recognized as members of the same family. It is for this reason that wives often take the names of their husbands after marriage. That, at least, is the legal definition. But to leave religion out of the discussion seems a bit absurd, since most American couples are married by a priest or rabbi.
Church weddings might be less popular than they were a half century ago, but they are still considered traditional.
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