Marriage is a legally recognised union between two spouses which establishes rights and responsibilities to each other and their respective families, the coupe pledge to spend their lives together and make vows on their future conduct both as a couple and as individuals. Originally an exclusively religious ceremony, different cultures and laws have ranging views and regulations regarding marriage and the practice has evolved much over the years but the general principles remain the same throughout the world. Marriage has traditionally been between a man and woman but in recent years many countries have legislated to allow same sex couples the same right of marriage as those of opposite sex.

Marriage can have different meanings around the world, arranged marriages still exist in many places they are arranged usually by parents who look for the best match for their children and indeed the family. In Asia arranged marriages are commonplace and can be used as a way of bringing two families together as well as for commercial purposes. In the UK arranged marriages are less commonplace and in fact the law of the UK outlaws any marriage in which the person or persons involved are being forced or coerced to wed but these laws do not exist in much of the World.

The sanctity of marriage is recognised by religious authority, a community or state and is viewed as a legally and morally binding contract but not all weddings are religious ceremonies. A civil marriage is a non-religious ceremony carried out by a state authorised institution in accordance with the laws of the land. If you are thinking of getting married then you should be sure that you are making the right decision before going ahead, the changes in modern living have led to less people getting married and even less lasting the distance with nearly 50% of all marriages now ending in divorce. A marriage needs to be worked on over the years, there will be tough times ahead if you are to make it `til death do us part`.

If you are willing to put in the hard work, to give as much as you expect to receive, to be forgiving and understanding and most of all to promise love to your partner for a lifetime then you are onto a good thing, a happy and successful marriage can be the most rewarding of experiences, to have your own family and watch it grow over the years is a beautiful thing and can offer you a life together to cherish. Always love and fulfil each other’s needs, try to communicate well and resolve conflicts as soon as possible, try to love or at least respect your partners friends and families and don’t fall into the same boring patterns, try to keep things interesting.

So if you are marrying the love of your life just remember a few simple things and you can start your marriage off on the best footing possible.