Do you have to get engaged before you get married? During our consultations with future spouses, our team often answers this question for couples in the Montreal area who are planning their civil wedding.
Origin and functioning of engagement
The tradition of engagement is not new since it dates back to antiquity. Engagement has evolved over time to become what we know today.
They were first a moment during which the parents of the future spouses accepted the union of their children.
Thereafter, the engagement became a commitment which precedes the marriage during which the engaged couple exchange an engagement ring. They make it possible to formalize a marriage project between two people.
Legal value of engagement
Around the 15th century, betrothal was an act recognized civilly and religiously. Since the end of the 17th century, betrothal has no longer had any legal value. Engagement is therefore in no way an obligation for a civil marriage.
To marry civilly in Quebec, you simply have to meet the conditions of marriage prescribed by law.