August 16, 2010

The history of the Engagement

At one time the engagement was just as important the wedding itself.  Anglo-Saxons were used to stealing away their brides-to-be.  Romance, wooing, and engagements were not in the picture.  But the families of the women insisted on being reimbursed for what was, after all, a working member of the family.  The engagement signified the intended transfer of ownership from Father to Husband and also provided a period during which the "the bride's price" could be agreed upon.

Several centuries later the situation was in reverse and Fathers were paying future sons-in-law, or their families, a "dowry" to marry off their daughters.  The engagement was again a time for agreeing on the payment, or dowry, and also a time for collecting an extravagant trousseau, at least for rich brides.