From the earliest times, men and women have contracted marriages and created families in which children could be protected and nurtured. Through the ages there have been many different reasons for forming marriages, and many different ways of deciding who should marry whom. During most periods of history, parents decided who should marry whom, and when.
In medieval times a marriage was looked upon as a way of joining two families together—for economic advantage, for example. Among royal families, in particular, marriages were frequently arranged for political reasons. Marriages could be arranged in childhood, infancy, and sometimes even before birth.
In many cultures marriage was accompanied by an exchange of money or gifts. Because many societies regarded the man as superior the woman's family had to provide a gift or money, known as a dowry to have the daughter married. In other cultures, the husband's family gave money to the bride's family.
The social and economic changes of the Industrial Revolution had numerous effects on the institution of marriage. As the Industrial Revolution spread, young people could earn a living in the new factories. Greater independence made it easier for young people themselves to decide whom to marry and not have to depend on their parents' choice.
The marriage ceremony itself taken many different forms. Perhaps, most familiar to Westerners is the traditional ceremony with the bride in white gown and the groom in formal clothes.
Many wedding traditions symbolize the union between the two partners In ancient China the bridal couple drank from cups that were made from two halves of the same melon. At Japanese weddings, the couple drink wine together, exchanging cups nine times.
