It depends how you construe marriage. Traditionally, it was a vow between two people made at a public ceremony before members of their family and community. Th

It depends how you construe marriage. Traditionally, it was a vow between two people made at a public ceremony before members of their family and community. The contractual stuff came later, and is arguably the less important aspect. If you take the first view, then the formality of the ceremony and its associated traditions isn't empty — it's the whole point. If you think the contractual, legal aspects of marriage are the the only things that matter, then yeah, might as well just sign on the dotted line.