Why would I need to do this? If I were simply to go to the consulate and not mention that I am married, would this be a problem for me later or for my children?
Any advice here would be welcomed greatly! Thanks!
These are the legal basis: Ustawa z dnia 29 września 1986 r. o aktach stanu cywilnego
By law all Polish citizens must have their marriage registered in Poland. If a Polish citizen doesn't have a permanent address in Poland (never lived in Poland) she/he must register the marriage in Urząd Stanu Cywilnego Warszawa-Śródmiecie. You don't have to do it in person. Familly member or friend can do it for you.
And God forbid, if you ever divorce your wife, you will have to get divorced in Poland too or legally you will still be married in Poland Speaking from experience, I inherited some land in Poland. I had to find my ex, who I divorced in Canada 13 years earlier and beg him to sign some legal papers. He was surprisingly kind enough not to ask for a half of my inheritance but legally he could
To clarify, you don't need to get married in Poland, you need to register/report your marriage to obtain a marriage certificate, the same way you would register a birth of a child to get a birth certificate.
But because you don't have PESEL yet, I suggest you do it through the nearest Polish Consulate. It will take a bit longer and cost much more money.