Marriage by Purchase
| As
time went on, marriage by purchase became the way to get married. During this
time, it was customary for unmarried women to wear their hair down and married
women to wear their hair up as a status simple. This also made it easy for
single men to know who the available women were. Unmarried women were financial
burdens on their families and fathers wanted to marry their daughters off as
soon as possible. Marriage was a way for a girl to escape their father's
oppression, only to enter her husband's oppression. The business transaction of
marriage was knows as betrothal. This agreement between the father of the
potential bride and the suitor consisted of an exchange of goods (money,
property, livestock or other items) known as the bride price, a betrothal ring
from the suitor and the date by which the marriage would take place. A third
person, the witness, would be present during the betrothal agreement in case an
argument would arise in the future about the specifics of the agreement.
Marriages would usually take place within 2 years of the agreement. If the
suitor broke the betrothal agreement, he would still be required to give the
woman's family the bride price. In the 16th century betrothal agreements started to phase out, leaving room for courtship and marriage for love, instead of marrying for money. With the end of betrothal in 18th century England, engaged couples could end the engagement without great financial loss and allowed for people to choose a partner because of love. By Nicole Mazzeo Wrapwithus wedding favors |