Most ancient societies needed a safe environment for the perpetuation of the species, a system of rules to manage the granting of property rights, and protection of lines. The institution of marriage has addressed these needs
Example: .. In the ancient Hebrew law requires a man to be the husband of the widow of a deceased brother
Some varieties / forms wedding:
- polygamy
- polygyny
- polyandry
- endogamy
- outbreeding
- common law marriage
- monogamy
- gay marriage
- cousin marriage
different time periods and different cultures have very different stories regarding the women. Ancient Egypt, in theory, gave women equal rights, but it has not always been practiced. Medieval women faced dual responsibilities to religion and marriage.
Throughout history, and still today, families arranged marriages for couples. Most couples do not marry because they were in love but for economic links. People involved not then and not today have much to say about the decision.
Even today some marriages by proxy, others involve a dot (the family of the bride giving money or presents to the husband or his family), some require a bride price (the groom or his family giving money or a gift to the family of the bride), few can have any kind of court or dating, but the most deeply rooted traditions.
An almost universal marriage tradition is that of the engagement ring. This custom can be dated the ancient Romans. It is believed that the ring roundness represents eternity. Therefore, the wedding rings harbor symbolizes a union that shall last forever. It was once thought that a vein or nerve ran directly from the "ring" finger of the left hand to the heart.
The notion of marriage as a sacrament and not just a contract can be traced St. Paul who compared the relationship between husband and wife to that of Christ and his church (Eph. V, 23-32).
Joseph Campbell, the Power of Myth mentions the twelfth century troubadours were the first who thought of courtly love in the same way we do now. The notion of romance apparently did not exist until medieval times and troubadours.
The declaration of Pope Nicolas I, in which he declared in 866, "If the consent to be lacking in a marriage, all other celebrations, even though the union be consummated, are rendered empty" shows the importance of the consent of the couple for marriage. It remained an important element in both the teaching of the Church and marriage laws through the years.
There seems to be a lot of weddings that take place without witnesses or ceremony of 1500. The Council of Trent was so disturbed by this, they decreed in 1563 that marriages should be celebrated in presence of a priest and at least two witnesses. Marriage has a new role to save men and women to be a sin, and procreation. Love was not a necessary ingredient for the wedding at the time.
Years later, the Puritans saw marriage as a very blessed relationship that gave spouses the opportunity to not only love, but also to forgive.
Many people believe that no matter how people enter marriage, marriage is a bond between two people that involves the responsibility and legal aspects, as well as commitment and challenge. This concept of marriage has not changed through the ages.