Arranged Marriage

Also known as a Pragmatic Marriage.

A marriage in which the groom or bride do not participate actively in the selection of their future spouses. However, unlike a forced marriage, both the potential bride and groom give full consent to the marriage. Marriages are commonly arranged by parents or their agents, and are seen as principally uniting two families rather than just husband and wife.

There is a rationalisation that young adults are too inexperienced to make a wise mate selection, and arranged marriages have been a successful traditional aspect of family life in many cultures for many years. However, the tradition has been dramatically undermined whenever romantic love becomes a popular notion in a society.