delayed registration of marriage using article 34

A Catholic marriage was held last 1992 (the couple had been living more than 5 years prior to the marriage). However, their marriage contract given to them had no article 34 written down and the church failed to submit the contract to the Local Civil Registry (LCR). Now that the couple wanted to apply for delayed registration of marriage, is it enough for the church to make an affidavit stating why they failed to submit the marriage contract to the LCR and also stating why there was no article 34 written down on the contract? Do LCR accept late registration of marriage in this case? Or was the couple's marriage invalid from the start?