CHAPTER 4 Marriage formalities Art. 13. - Marriage is obligatorily celebrated by a civil status registrar. Art. 14. - Only marriage celebrated by a civil status registrar has legal implications. Section 1 - Preliminary formalities Art. 15. - At least ten full days before the date fixed for the celebration of the marriage, each of the spouses-to-be must submit to the competent civil status registrar: 1. A copy of his/her birth certificate or a copy of a substituting court order issued within the preceding three months; 2. A copy of the documents granting exemptions, in cases provided for by law; 3. Any other document that could be requested from him/her and suitable to establish that the conditions for marriage are met. Art. 16. - When the spouses-to-be appear before the civil status registrar, as stated in the previous article, in order to deposit their birth certificates, he must ask them to present either the death certificate of the previous spouse, a copy of judgment declaring absence of the said spouse, or proof of fulfilment of the formalities provided for in Article 3 paragraph 2, if they had once been married. Art. 17. - The civil status registrar must, in addition, notify the spouses-to-be that they would have to declare if they opt for joint property or separation of property regime, or if they have entered into a marriage contract. If the spouses have agreed on rules relating to their matrimonial regime by a notarized deed, the civil status registrar receives the deed. The civil status registrar notifies the spouses-to-be of their choice. Art. 18. - One month before the celebration of the marriage, the civil status registrar makes the marriage banns by posting the request for marriage at the main civil status office for the jurisdiction where the marriage will be celebrated, and that of the residence of each of the spouses-to-be. Art. 19. - Before proceeding to the celebration of the marriage, the civil status registrar makes sure that all the conditions required by law are met. If he finds out that they are not, he does not celebrate the marriage and proceeds as prescribed in article 8. Section 2 - Celebration of marriage Art. 20. - The marriage is celebrated publicly at the headquarters of the constituency or the civil status office for the domicile or residence of one of the spouses-to-be. Residence is established by at least one month of continuous stay in the area prior to the date of the celebration. The public prosecutor for the domicile or residence of one of the spouses-to-be may, however, if there are good reasons, authorize the celebration of marriage by the civil status registrar in a place in his constituency, or a civil status office other than those mentioned in the first paragraph. 3