Correct; there are places where a couple must consecutively go through both a religious ceremony and a civil ceremony in order to satisfy the requirements of bo

Correct; there are places where a couple must consecutively go through both a religious ceremony and a civil ceremony in order to satisfy the requirements of both Church and State. Sometimes it matters which order they do it in. In these United States, all Catholic priests (and other ministers who regularly solemnize weddings) are licensed by the state to act as witness in the civil sphere as well. So one of the most important things a priest will do right before a wedding is sign off on the state's marriage license and have the secretary file that with the clerk.