According to relevant laws and regulations in China, obtaining a marriage certificate constitutes a legal level marriage relationship and is protected by the Marriage Law. Therefore, obtaining a marriage certificate without holding a wedding ceremony is considered married. Moreover, obtaining a marriage certificate means having a marriage registration record, and separation requires going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to handle divorce procedures.
Holding a wedding without obtaining a marriage certificate is considered unmarried
Since February 1, 1994, China's Marriage Law no longer recognizes factual marital relationships, and the determination of whether the two parties belong to a marital relationship is mainly based on their legal relationship.
Without a marriage certificate, there is no marital relationship at the legal level. This means that even if a wedding is held without a marriage certificate, there is no marital relationship between the two parties, and there is no need to handle divorce procedures when they separate.