While the marriage certificate is a great resource in order to verify the names of the bride and groom, who may be your great-grandparents, they may provide you with information you never expected to find. Marriage records can come in three different formats. These are:

1. Marriage License – This is the license the bride and groom obtained in order to be married in the town, county, district, or parish. The certificate is obtained from the proper civil authorities, generally the clerk in the court office. This is the most valuable record in which to find information as it usually contains the couple's names, ages, residences, race, birth dates, occupations, and usually the names and maybe even birthplaces of the parents. This license was given to the person who performed the marriage.

2. Marriage Register – This document merely contains information from the license that was signed upon the completion of the ceremony. The license was returned to the clerk so that the information could be recorded in a register book. The information included the names of the couple, the date and place of the marriage, and the name of the person who performed the marriage.

3. Marriage Certificate – This document was more for the sake of show. It was generally given to the couple by the individual who performed the ceremony and it contained the couple's names, marriage date, and location. It is usually difficult to find these documents as they were not generally officially recorded or filed.

The most intriguing thing about marriage records is that you may find that, although a license was applied for, the marriage never actually took place. You may find out that the bride or groom had a previous marriage, which would open up the possibility of other relatives to look for.

The marriage records of a couple can reveal information that was never known or was never discussed. If the marriage records of a couple are available, then it is well worth the effort of obtaining them so that you can ensure the union took place and what the full and proper names of the individuals were. Then you may be able to start filling in or adding other branched of the family tree that you may or may not have known were there.