After baptism, marriage records are the second major type of church records. While most American denominations have recorded marriages, there are a few exceptions, such as the Puritans who treated marriage as a civil contract. Again, knowing the practices of the denomination in question can save you a great deal of research time.

The information on these records will vary depending on the religion and the person entering the information. In some cases, only the names of the wedding couple and the date of the ceremony are recorded. But it is more typical to find at least some additional information which might include any of the following: ages, residences, birthplaces, and religion of the bride and groom, occupation of the groom, place where the ceremony was held, names and birthplaces of the parents of the nuptial pair, and the name of the officiating clergyman. The table that follows provides more information about details that may be found in marriage records.