Married to God

In the Old Testament, in the Old Covenant, the relationship between Israel and the LORD is pictured by marriage. Israel is often viewed as a wife, usually an unfaithful wife, but a wife non-the-less.

In the New Testament the church is viewed as the bride of Christ. The word bride refers to a woman who is about to be marriage, or one who has just been married. 

Notably, marriage is a state of being in an identifiable relationship that came into existence by the agreement of the two parties involved. In some sort of ceremony, vows are made, papers are signed and two unmarried people emerge married. That ceremony, the wedding, marks that transition.