Marriage

==Religion==
[[File:Verlobung Frau und Mann - mit Ringtausch - und Treue Verlobungsversprechen - Dresden - Bild 011.jpg|thumb|A man and woman exchange rings]]
{{Further|Religion and divorce}}

Religions develop in specific geographic and social milieux.<ref>
{{cite book
| last1                 = Olson
| first1                = Duane
| title                 = Issues in Contemporary Christian Thought: A Fortress Introduction
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=iJ71DHpbRAwC
| publisher             = [[Fortress Press]]
| date      = 2011
| page                  = 150
| isbn                  = 978-1-4514-0731-0
| access-date            = 2015-09-17
| quote                 = In the course of human history, over thousands of years, many human cultures arise in relative isolation from each other, and major world religions develop in these relatively independent cultures.
}}</ref> Religious attitudes and practices relating to marriage vary, but have many similarities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zarean |first1=Mansoureh |last2=Barzegar |first2=Khadijeh |date=2016 |title=Marriage in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism |url=http://ri.urd.ac.ir/article_43969.html |journal=Religious Inquiries |volume=5 |issue=9 |pages=67–80 |access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref>

===Abrahamic religions===

====Baháʼí Faith====
The [[Baháʼí Faith]] encourages marriage and views it as a mutually strengthening bond. A [[Baháʼí marriage]] is contingent on the consent of all living parents.<ref name="oneworld">{{cite encyclopedia|last= Smith|first= Peter|encyclopedia= A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith|title= Marriage|year= 2000|publisher= Oneworld Publications|location= Oxford|isbn= 978-1-85168-184-6|pages= [https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/232 232–33]|url= https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/232}}</ref>

====Christianity====
{{Main|Christian views on marriage}}
{{Further|Wedding#Christian customs}}
{{blockquote|{{"'}}Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man."  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|2:22–24|TNIV}}</ref>}}
{{blockquote|{{"'}}...So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."|Jesus<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|19:6|TNIV}}</ref>}}
[[File:Crowning in Syro-Malabar Nasrani Wedding by Mar Gregory Karotemprel.jpg|thumb|Crowning during [[Nasrani wedding|Holy Matrimony]] in the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]], an [[Eastern Catholic]] Church and a part of the [[Saint Thomas Christian]] community in [[India]]]]
[[File:St Mary's Church, Kyoto.jpg|thumb|Christian wedding in [[Kyoto]], Japan]]
[[File:Russian church wedding in Toronto,Canada.jpg|thumb|Russian orthodox wedding ceremony]]

Modern Christianity bases its views on marriage upon the teachings of [[Jesus]] and the [[Paul the Apostle]].<ref name="Witte" /> Many of the largest [[Christianity|Christian]] denominations regard marriage as a [[sacrament]], sacred institution, or [[covenant (religion)|covenant]].<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/ritesrituals/weddings_1.shtml |title=Religions – Christianity: Marriage and weddings |publisher=BBC }}</ref>

The first known decrees on marriage were during the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[Council of Trent]] (twenty-fourth session of 1563), decrees that made the validity of marriage dependent on the wedding occurring in the presence of a priest and two witnesses.<ref name=monger/><ref name=omalley/> The absence of a requirement of parental consent ended a debate that proceeded from the 12th century.<ref name=omalley/><ref>For clarification, see [https://archive.org/details/stateofvirginity0000stra/page/53 <!-- quote="Winkel" "Gender, Religion, and Politics in an Early Modern". --> State of Virginity: Gender, Religion, and Politics in an Early Modern Europe] (Google Books) by Ulrike Strasser, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 2007</ref> In the case of a civil [[divorce]], the innocent spouse had and has no right to marry again until the death of the other spouse terminates the still valid marriage, even if the other spouse was guilty of adultery.<ref name="omalley">*{{cite book|first=John W.|last=O'Malley|title=Trent: What Happened at the Council|url=https://archive.org/details/trent0000omal|url-access=registration|date=15 January 2013|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-06760-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/trent0000omal/page/225 225]}}
*{{cite book|last=O'Malley|first=John|title=The Council of Trent. Myths, Misunderstandings and Unintended Consequences|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k3FFCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA6|date=22 May 2013|publisher=Gregorian Biblical BookShop|isbn=978-88-7839-255-7|page=6}}</ref>

The Christian Church performed marriages in the [[narthex]] of the church prior to the 16th century, when the emphasis was on the marital contract and betrothal. Subsequently, the ceremony moved inside the [[sacristy]] of the church.<ref name="monger">{{cite book|last1= Monger|first1= George P.|year= 2004|chapter= Christian Weddings|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=o8JlWxBYs40C&q=marriage+ceremony+%22early+christianity%22&pg=PA70|title= Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons|location= Santa Barbara, CA|publisher= ABC CLIO|pages= [https://archive.org/details/marriagecustomso0000mong/page/70 70–71]|isbn= 978-1-57607-987-4|oclc= 469368346|url= https://archive.org/details/marriagecustomso0000mong/page/70}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09703b.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Ritual of Marriage|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>

Christians often{{quantify|date=September 2015}} marry for religious reasons, ranging from following the biblical injunction for a "man to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one",<ref>{{Bibleverse|Gen.|2:24}}. See also {{bibleverse|Mark|10:7}}, {{Bibleverse|Gen.|2:24}}, {{Bibleverse|Matt.|19:5}}, {{Bibleverse|Eph.|5:31}}</ref> to accessing the [[Divine grace]] of the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] Sacrament.<ref name="Lehmkuhl, Augustinus 1910">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Sacrament of Marriage}}</ref>

[[Catholicism|Catholics]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], as well as many [[Anglicanism|Anglicans]] and [[Methodism|Methodists]], consider marriage termed ''holy matrimony'' to be an expression of [[divine grace]],<ref name="Jr.Warrick2013">{{cite book|last1=Yrigoyen|first1=Charles Jr.|last2=Warrick|first2=Susan E.|title=Historical Dictionary of Methodism|date=7 November 2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|language=en|isbn=978-0-8108-7894-5|page=236|quote=In Methodism, the sacred service celebrates a covenenat grounded in the will of God and sustained by divine grace. ... Methodism encourages the solemnization of marriages within the context of congregational worship and eucharistic celebration.}}</ref> termed a ''[[sacrament]]'' and ''[[Sacred mysteries|mystery]]'' in the first two Christian traditions. In [[Latin liturgical rites|Western ritual]], the ministers of the sacrament are the spouses themselves, with a [[bishop]], [[priest]], or [[deacon]] merely witnessing the union on behalf of the Church and blessing it. In [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern ritual churches]], the bishop or priest functions as the actual minister of the Sacred Mystery; Eastern Orthodox deacons may not perform marriages. Western Christians commonly refer to marriage as a [[vocation]], while Eastern Christians consider it an [[ordination]] and a [[martyr]]dom, though the theological emphases indicated by the various names are not excluded by the teachings of either tradition.{{Dubious|date=January 2010}} Marriage is commonly celebrated in the context of a [[Eucharist]]ic service (a [[Mass in the Catholic Church#Ritual Masses|nuptial Mass]] or [[Divine Liturgy]]). The sacrament of marriage is indicative of the relationship between [[Jesus|Christ]] and the Church.<ref>{{bibleverse|Eph.|5:29–32}}</ref>

The Roman Catholic tradition of the 12th and 13th centuries defined marriage as a sacrament ordained by God,<ref name="Witte"/> signifying the mystical marriage of Christ to his Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217152549/https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm |archive-date=17 February 2007 |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Article Seven, Paragraph 1612 |publisher=Vatican.va }}</ref>
<blockquote>The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217152549/https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm|archive-date=17 February 2007|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Article Seven, Paragraph 1601 |publisher=Vatican.va }}</ref>
</blockquote>

For Catholic and Methodist Christians, the mutual love between husband and wife becomes an image of the eternal love with which God loves humankind.<ref name="Church2016">{{cite book|title=The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2016|date=16 December 2016|publisher=United Methodist Publishing House|language=en|isbn=978-1-5018-3325-0|page=623|quote=For the church, the marriage covenant is grounded in the covenant between God and God's people into which Christians enter in their baptism.}}</ref> In the [[United Methodist Church]], the celebration of Holy Matrimony ideally occurs in the context of a Service of Worship, which includes the celebration of the Eucharist.<ref name="Jr.Warrick2013"/> Likewise, the celebration of marriage between two Catholics normally takes place during the public liturgical celebration of the Holy Mass, because of its sacramental connection with the unity of the Paschal mystery of Christ (Communion). Sacramental marriage confers a perpetual and exclusive bond between the spouses. By its nature, the institution of marriage and conjugal love is ordered to the procreation and upbringing of offspring. Marriage creates rights and duties in the Church between the spouses and towards their children: "[e]ntering marriage with the intention of never having children is a grave wrong and more than likely grounds for an annulment".<ref>McLachlan, P. [http://www.catholic-pages.com/marriage/sacrament.asp Sacrament of Holy Matrimony]. Catholic-pages.com</ref> According to Roman Catholic legislation, progeny of annulled relationships are considered legitimate. Civilly remarried persons who civilly divorced a living and lawful spouse are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic Communion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217152549/https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm |archive-date=17 February 2007 |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Article Seven, Paragraph 1665 |publisher=Vatican.va }}</ref>

[[Divorce]] and [[remarriage]], while generally not encouraged, are regarded differently by each Christian denomination, with certain traditions, such as the Catholic Church, teaching the concept of an [[annulment]]. For example, the [[Reformed Church in America]] permits divorce and remarriage,<ref name="RCA1975">{{cite web |title=Statements of General Synod |url=https://www.rca.org/synod/statements/ |publisher=[[Reformed Church in America]] |access-date=4 June 2021 |language=English |date=1975}}</ref> while connexions such as the [[Evangelical Methodist Church Conference]] forbid divorce except in the case of [[fornication]] and do not allow for remarriage in any circumstance.<ref name="EMCC2017">{{cite book |title=Evangelical Methodist Church Discipline |date=15 July 2017 |publisher=[[Evangelical Methodist Church Conference]] |language=English|pages=22–21|quote=The marriage contract is so sacred that we advise against seeking divorce on any grounds whatseover. Should any member seek divorce on any unscriptural grounds (Matt. 5:32 "But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced comitteth adultery."), and that well proven, he shall be summoned to appear at a meeting in the local church, with the general board working in co-operation with the local church board. If proven guilty of such offense, he shall be dismissed at once, and no longer considered a member of Evangelical Methodist Church. We advise against the remarriage of all divorced persons, as the scriptures declare in Romans 7:3a "...So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress." If any person becoming converted, and having such marital complications as mentioned above in the days of their sin and ignorance, it is our belief that God will and does forgive them; however, we shall not receive such persons into church membership, but with to extend to them the right hand of fellowship, promising the prayers of God's people. Should any pastor, knowingly or unknowingly, receive such persons that have been divorced and remarried into membership, such membership shall not be valid. Ministers are advised to have nothing to do with the re-marriage of persons divorced on any grounds. In the event any person is divorced by an unbelieving companion and shall remain in an unmarried state, retaining his or her Christian integrity, he or she shall not be dismissed or barred from church membership.}}</ref> The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] allows divorce for a limited number of reasons, and in theory, but usually not in practice, requires that a marriage after divorce be celebrated with a penitential overtone. With respect to marriage between a Christian and a pagan, the early Church "sometimes took a more lenient view, invoking the so-called Pauline privilege of permissible separation (1 Cor. 7) as legitimate grounds for allowing a convert to divorce a pagan spouse and then marry a Christian."<ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/augustweb-only/46.0c.html?start=2 Divorce and Remarriage from Augustine to Zwingli]. Christianity Today. Retrieved on 6 April 2013.</ref>

The Catholic Church adheres to the proscription of [[Jesus]] in ''Matthew'', 19: 6 that married spouses who have consummated their marriage "are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate."<ref>''Matthew'', 19: 6, ''New American Bible Revised Edition'', [http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19].</ref> Consequently, the Catholic Church understands that it is wholly without authority to terminate a sacramentally valid and consummated marriage, and its ''Codex Iuris Canonici'' ([[1983 Code of Canon Law]]) confirms this in Canons 1055–7. Specifically, Canon 1056 declares that "the essential properties of marriage are unity and ''indissolubility''; in [C]hristian marriage they acquire a distinctive ''firmness'' by reason of the sacrament."<ref>''Code of Canon Law Annotated'', edited by Ernest Caparros et alia, Canon 1056, pp. 806–07 (Woodridge, Illinois: Midwest Theological Forum, 2004); see the printed work to correctly cite the translator(s) et alia; emphasis added.</ref> Canon 1057, §2 declares that marriage is "an ''irrevocable'' covenant".<ref>''Code of Canon Law Annotated'', edited by Ernest Caparros et alia, Canon 1057, §2, p. 807 (Woodridge, Illinois: Midwest Theological Forum, 2004); see the printed work to correctly cite the translator(s) et alia; emphasis added.</ref> Therefore, divorce of such a marriage is a metaphysical, moral, and legal impossibility. However, the Church has the authority to annul a presumed "marriage" by declaring it to have been invalid from the beginning, i. e., declaring it not to be and never to have been a marriage, in an [[Annulment (Catholic Church)|annulment]] procedure,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/relationships/chmarriageanddivorcerev1.shtml |title= GCSE Bitesize: Marriage |publisher= BBC }}</ref> which is basically a fact-finding and fact-declaring effort.

For [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations, the purposes of marriage include intimate companionship, rearing children, and mutual support for both spouses to fulfill their life callings. Most [[Calvinism|Reformed Christians]] did not regard marriage to the status of a sacrament "because they did not regard matrimony as a necessary means of grace for salvation"; nevertheless it is considered a covenant between spouses before God.<sup>cf.</sup><ref>{{bibleverse|Ephesians|5:31–33}}</ref> In addition, some Protestant denominations (such as the Methodist Churches) affirmed that Holy Matrimony is a "[[means of grace]], thus, sacramental in character".<ref name="Mulhall2013">{{cite book|last=Mulhall|first=Daniel S.|title=The Ecumenical Christian Dialogues and The Catechism of the Catholic Church|date=18 September 2013|publisher=Paulist Press|language=en |isbn=978-1-61643-809-8|page=155|quote=The Protestant reformers of the sixteenth century were unwilling to call marriage a sacrament because they did not regard matrimony as a necessary means of grace for salvation. Though not necessary for salvation certainly marriage is a means of grace, thus, sacramental in character.}}</ref>
[[File:Phil and Marlene.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A couple following their marriage in the [[Manti Utah Temple]]]]

Since the 16th century, five competing models have shaped marriage in the Western tradition, as described by [[John Witte, Jr.]]:<ref>{{cite book | last =Witte | first =John | title =From Sacarament to Contract: Marriage, Religion, and Law in the Western Tradition | publisher =Westminster John Knox Press | series=The Family, Religion, and Culture |  edition =1st | date =2007}}</ref>
* Marriage as Sacrament in the Roman Catholic Tradition
* Marriage as Social Estate in the Lutheran Reformation
* Marriage as Covenant in the Reformed (and Methodist) Traditions<ref>{{cite book |title=Book of Discipline of the Free Methodist Church |date=2015 |publisher=[[Free Methodist Church]] |pages=53–54 |language=English }}</ref>
* Marriage as Commonwealth in the Anglican Tradition
* Marriage as Contract in the Enlightenment Tradition

Members of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) believe that "[[Marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|marriage]] between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the [[Plan of salvation (Latter Day Saints)|Creator's plan]] for the eternal destiny of His children."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng|title=The Family: A Proclamation to the World|website=ChurchofJesusChrist.org}}</ref> Their view of marriage is that family relationships can endure beyond the grave.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/lesson-5-laws-and-ordinances?lang=eng|title=Lesson 5: Laws and Ordinances|website=ChurchofJesusChrist.org}}</ref> This is known as 'eternal marriage' which can be eternal only when authorized priesthood holders perform the sealing ordinance in sacred [[Temple (LDS Church)|temples]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/the-eternal-family-teacher-manual/lesson-15-eternal-marriage?lang=eng|title=Lesson 15: Eternal Marriage|website=ChurchofJesusChrist.org}}</ref>

With respect to religion, historic Christian belief emphasizes that Christian weddings should occur in a [[church (building)|church]] as Christian marriage should begin where one also starts their faith journey (Christians receive the sacrament of [[baptism]] in church in the presence of their [[Church (congregation)|congregation]]).<ref name="Dooley2016">{{cite book |last1=Dooley |first1=Sandra |title=A Guide to Catholic Weddings |date=20 June 2016 |publisher=Liturgy Training Publications |isbn=978-1-61833-134-2 |pages=29–30 |language=English}}</ref> Catholic Christian weddings must "take place in a church building" as holy matrimony is a sacrament; sacraments normatively occur in the presence of Christ in the house of God, and "members of the faith community [should be] present to witness the event and provide support and encouragement for those celebrating the sacrament."<ref name="Dooley2016"/> Bishops never grant permission "to those requesting to be married in a garden, on the beach, or some other place outside of the church" and a dispensation is only granted "in extraordinary circumstances (for example, if a bride or groom is ill or disabled and unable to come to the church)."<ref name="Dooley2016"/> Marriage in the church, for Christians, is seen as contributing to the fruit of the newlywed couple regularly attending church each [[Lord's Day]] and raising children in the faith.<ref name="Dooley2016"/>

=====Christian attitudes to same-sex marriage=====
{{Main|Religious arguments about same-sex marriage}}

Although many Christian denominations do not currently perform [[same-sex marriage]]s, many do, such as the [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]], some dioceses of the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]], the [[Metropolitan Community Church]], [[Quakers]], [[United Church of Canada]], and [[United Church of Christ]] congregations, and some [[Homosexuality and the Anglican Communion#Anglican Church of Canada|Anglican]] dioceses, for example.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070703002853/http://marriagelaw.cua.edu/publications/wrr.pdf "World Religions and Same-Sex Marriage"], Marriage Law Project, [[Columbus School of Law]] at The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, July 2002 revision</ref><ref name="united">{{cite web|url=http://www.united-church.ca/exploring/marriage/affirmingcongregations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531085742/http://www.united-church.ca/exploring/marriage/affirmingcongregations |archive-date=31 May 2010 |title=Affirming Congregations, The Episcopal Church and Ministries of the United Church of Canada |publisher=United-church.ca }}</ref> Same-sex marriage is recognized by various [[religious denomination]]s.<ref name="pewforum">{{cite web|title=Religious Groups' Official Positions on Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=291|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081109194247/http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=291 |archive-date=9 November 2008 |publisher=pewforums.org|date=1 April 2008}}</ref><ref name="NYT UCC SSM">{{cite news|title=United Church of Christ Backs Same-Sex Marriage|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/national/05church.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050708015301/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/national/05church.html |archive-date=2005-07-08 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |author=Shaila Dewan|date=5 July 2005|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

==== Islam ====
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2011}}
{{Main|Islamic marital jurisprudence}}
[[File:Pakistani Marriage Culture Video.webm|thumb|Pakistani marriage culture video]]
[[File:Jeunes Mariés dans le parc dAk Saray (Shahrisabz) (6018352949).jpg|thumb|[[Newlywed]] couples visit [[Timur]]'s statues to receive wedding blessings in [[Uzbekistan]].]]
[[File:Signing the Nikah.jpg|thumb|A Muslim bride of [[Pakistan]] origin signing the ''nikkah nama'' or [[marriage certificate]]]]
[[File:Muslim wedding in India.jpg|thumb|A Muslim couple being wed alongside the [[Tungabhadra River]] at [[Hampi]], India]]

[[Islam]] also commends marriage, with the age of marriage being whenever the individuals feel ready, financially and emotionally.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Levy|first=Reuben|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JCJgmiv7uZcC&q=the+social+structure+of+islam&pg=PA1|title=The Social Structure of Islam|date=2000|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-20910-6|language=en}}</ref>

In Islam, [[polygyny]] is allowed while [[polyandry]] is not, with the specific [[Polygamy in Islam|limitation]] that a man can have no more than four legal wives at any one time and an unlimited number of [[Islamic views on concubinage|female slaves]] as [[Concubinage|concubines]] who may have rights similar wives, with the exception of not being free unless the man has children with them, with the requirement that the man is able and willing to partition his time and wealth equally among the respective wives and concubines (this practice of concubinage, as in Judaism, is not applicable in contemporary times and has been deemed by scholars as invalid due to shifts in views about the role of slavery in the world).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Connections . How Many Wives? {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/women/lesson3a.html |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=www.pbs.org}}</ref>

For a Muslim wedding to take place, the bridegroom and the guardian of the bride (''[[wali]]'') must both agree on the marriage. Should the guardian disagree on the marriage, it may not legally take place. If the ''wali'' of the girl is her father or paternal grandfather, he has the right to force her into marriage even against her proclaimed will, if it is her first marriage. A guardian who is allowed to force the bride into marriage is called ''[[Marriage in Islam#Conditions|wali mujbir]]''.<ref>The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Vol. VIII, p. 27, Leiden 1995.</ref>

[[File:An Islamic wedding for a new Bride and groom.jpg|thumb|A [[Nigerians|Nigerian]] Islamic wedding]]

From an Islamic ([[Sharia]]) law perspective, the minimum requirements and responsibilities in a Muslim marriage are that the groom provide living expenses (housing, clothing, food, maintenance) to the bride, and in return, the bride's main responsibility is raising children to be proper Muslims. All other rights and responsibilities are to be decided between the husband and wife, and may even be included as stipulations in the marriage contract before the marriage actually takes place, so long as they do not go against the minimum requirements of the marriage.

In [[Sunni Islam]], [[Islamic marital jurisprudence|marriage]] must take place in the presence of at least two reliable witnesses, with the consent of the guardian of the bride and the consent of the groom. Following the marriage, the couple may consummate the marriage. To create an '[[urf]] marriage, it is sufficient that a man and a woman indicate an intention to marry each other and recite the requisite words in front of a suitable Muslim. The wedding party usually follows but can be held days, or months later, whenever the couple and their families want to; however, there can be no concealment of the marriage as it is regarded as public notification due to the requirement of witnesses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sistani.org/local.php?modules=nav&nid=2&bid=59&pid=3079|title=The method of pronouncing the marriage formula}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090218220414/http://www.sistani.org/local.php?modules=nav&nid=2&bid=59&pid=3078 Marriage formula]. sistani.org</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090218001957/http://www.sistani.org/local.php?modules=nav&nid=2&bid=59&pid=3080 Conditions of pronouncing Nikah]. sistani.org</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sistani.org/local.php?modules=nav&nid=2&bid=59&pid=3083|title=Women with whom matrimony is Haraam}}</ref>

In [[Shia Islam]], marriage may take place without the presence of witnesses as is often the case in temporary [[Nikah mut'ah]] (prohibited in Sunni Islam), but with the consent of both the bride and the groom. Following the marriage, they may consummate their marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.al-islam.org/muta-temporary-marriage-in-islamic-law-sachiko-murata/four-pillars-muta|title=The Four Pillars Of Mut'a|website=Al-Islam.org|date=27 September 2012}}</ref>

====Judaism====
[[File:Joodse bruiloft Rijksmuseum SK-A-2598.jpeg|thumb|A Jewish wedding, painting by [[Jozef Israëls]], 1903]]
[[File:V03p128a01 Ketubah.jpg|thumb|A [[Ketubah]] in Hebrew, a Jewish marriage-contract outlining the duties of each partner]]
{{Main|Jewish views on marriage}}
In [[Judaism]], marriage is based on the laws of the [[Torah]] and is a contractual bond between spouses in which the spouses agree to be consecrated to one another.<ref>[[Mishnah]] Kidushin 1:1</ref> This contract is called [[Erusin|Kiddushin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 2a |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.2a.1?lang=bi |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> Though procreation is not the sole purpose, a Jewish marriage is also expected to fulfill the commandment to have children, as it is written "God blessed them and God said to them, 'Be fertile and increase.{{' "}}<ref>{{cite web |title=B'reishit 1:28 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.28?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> The main focus centers around the relationship between the spouses. [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistically]], marriage is understood to mean that the spouses are merging into a single soul. In Kabbalistic thought, a man is considered "incomplete" if he is not married, as his soul is only one part of a larger whole that remains to be unified.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/448425/jewish/Why-Marry.htm |title=Why Marry? |publisher=[[Chabad.org]]  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224153323/http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/448425/jewish/Why-Marry.htm |archive-date=24 December 2007 }}</ref>

The [[Hebrew Bible]] describes a number of marriages, including those of [[Isaac]],<ref>{{cite web |title=B'reishit 24 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.24?lang=bi&aliyot=0 |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> [[Jacob]]<ref name="B'reishit 29">{{cite web |title=B'reishit 29 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.29.2?lang=bi&aliyot=0 |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> and [[Samson]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Shoftim 14 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Judges.14?lang=bi |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> [[Polygyny]], or men having multiple wives at once, is one of the most common marital arrangements represented in the Hebrew Bible;<ref name="JewEncMar">{{Jewish Encyclopedia|inline=1|title=Marriage|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=M&artid=213}}</ref> another is that of concubinage ([[pilegesh|pilagshut]]) which was often arranged by a man, and a woman who generally enjoyed the same rights as a full legal wife. Other means of concubinage are observed by the author of Judges 19–20,<ref>{{cite web |title=Shoftim 19–20 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Judges.19.2?lang=bi |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> or during war, as in Deuteronomy 21:10–12.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farbiarz |first1=Rachel |title=Women & War |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/women-war/ |website=My Jewish Learning |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> The rabbis of the Talmud exhibited discomfort with abduction of women in war for the purpose of marriage, declaring it to be a "compromise against man's [[Yetzer hara|evil inclination]]" to be avoided.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Shaye J. D. |last2=Farber |first2=Zev |title=Marrying a Beautiful Captive Woman |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/marrying-a-beautiful-captive-woman |website=The Torah |publisher=Project TABS |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> Today [[Ashkenazi Jews]] are prohibited to take more than one wife because of a ban instituted on this by [[Gershom ben Judah]] (d. 1040 CE). However, academic scholarship indicates that prohibitions on polygyny may have existed far earlier, based on the [[Damascus Document|Damascus Covenant]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sassoon |first1=Isaac S. D. |title=The Biblical Prohibition of Polygyny? |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-biblical-prohibition-of-polygyny |website=The Torah |publisher=Project TABS |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref>

Among ancient Hebrews, marriage was a domestic affair and not a religious ceremony; no officiant or witness was required by law. [[Maimonides|The Rambam]] wrote that "before the Torah was given, when a man would meet a woman in the marketplace and he and she decided to marry, he would bring her home, conduct relations in private and thus make her his wife." Subsequently, to the Torah being handed down at Sinai, however, the Jews received the commandment that a marriage must be witnessed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Maimonides |title=Mishneh Torah, Marriage 1:1 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Marriage.1.1?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref>

Betrothal (''[[erusin]]''), which refers to the time that this binding contract is made, is distinct from marriage itself (''[[Jewish wedding|nissu'in]]''), with the time between these events varying substantially.<ref name="JewEncMar" /><ref name="CheyneAndBlackMar">{{EncyclopaediaBiblica|article=MARRIAGE|section=Manius-Mash}}</ref> In biblical times, a wife was regarded as [[personal property]], belonging to her husband;<ref name="JewEncMar" /><ref name="CheyneAndBlackMar" /> the descriptions of the Bible suggest that she would be expected to perform tasks such as spinning, sewing, weaving, manufacture of clothing, fetching of water, baking of bread, and [[animal husbandry]].<ref name="B'reishit 29"/> A husband's obligations to his wife are 1) to provide her with food and care; 2) to supply her clothing and shelter; 3) to share a home with her; 4) to provide the ketubah (marriage contract); 5) to supply medical care if she falls ill; 6) to ransom her back if she is kidnapped; 7) to provide proper burial when she dies; 8) to provide for her materially if he predeceases her; 9) to provide for the support of their daughters until they marry or become adults; and 10) to see that their sons inherit the money specified in her ketubah, in addition to their portion of his estate.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Maimonides |title=Mishneh Torah, Marriage 12:2 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Marriage.12.2?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> Men are also obligated sexually to their wives, per BT Ketubot 61b:10, with the frequency of marital relations determined in part by the occupation (and hence availability) of the husband.<ref>{{cite web |title=Talmud Bavli, Ketubot 61b:10 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Ketubot.61b.10?lang=bi |website=Sefaria |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref>

Per Deuteronomy 24, because a wife was regarded as property, her husband was originally free to divorce her for any reason, at any time.<ref name="CheyneAndBlackMar" /> However, Talmudic sources complicate this matter significantly, with Beit Shammai stating that a man may divorce his wife only if she has committed a sexual transgression (such as adultery).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Feinstein |first1=Eve Levavi |title=When Is a Man Allowed to Divorce his Wife? |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/when-is-a-man-allowed-to-divorce-his-wife |website=The Torah |publisher=Project TABS |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> Divorcing a woman against her will was also banned by [[Gershom ben Judah]] for [[Ashkenazi Jews]]. A divorced couple were permitted to remarry, unless the wife had married someone else after her divorce.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Feinstein |first1=Eve Levavi |title=Remarrying Your Ex-Wife |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/remarrying-your-ex-wife |website=The Torah |publisher=Project TABS |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref>

===Hinduism===
{{Main|Marriage in Hinduism}}
[[File:Hindu marriage ceremony offering.jpg|thumb|Hindu marriage ceremony from a [[Rajput]] wedding]]
[[File:Bride Groom NP.JPG|thumb|A Nepali Hindu couple in marriage ceremony]]

[[Hinduism]] regards ''Vivāha'' or ''Biye'' (marriage) to be a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. It is regarded to be an important [[Samskara (rite of passage)|''samskara'']], or a rite of passage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rao |first=CN Shankar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jDscEAAAQBAJ&dq=vivaha+samskara&pg=PA363 |title=Sociology |date=2012 |publisher=S. Chand Publishing |isbn=978-81-219-1036-1 |page=363 |language=en}}</ref> [[Hindu texts]] describe four [[Puruṣārtha|''purusharthas'']] (goals of existence): ''[[dharma]]'' (righteousness), ''[[artha]]'' (wealth), ''[[kama]]'' (desire), and ''[[moksha]]'' (liberation). The purpose of the marriage ''samskara'' is to fulfill the goal of ''kama'', allowing an adherent to gradually advance towards the attainment of ''moksha''. The [[Manusmriti]] describes many different types of marriages and their categorisation, ranging from the [[Gandharva marriage|''gandharva vivaha'']]<ref name="Banerjee 86">{{Cite book |last=Banerjee |first=Gooroodass |title=The Hindu Law of Marriage and Stridhan |page=86}}</ref> (a consensual marriage of love between a man and a woman without the performance of rituals or witnesses) to the [[Rakshasa marriage|''rakshasa vivaha'']]<ref name="Banerjee 86"/> (a "demoniac" marriage, performed by abduction of one participant by the other participant, usually, but not always, with the help of other persons). In the [[Indian subcontinent]], [[arranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent|arranged marriages]], in which the spouse's parents or an older family member choose the partner, are still predominant in comparison with [[love marriage]]s in the contemporary period. The [[Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856|Hindu Widow's Remarriage Act 1856]] empowers a Hindu widow to remarry.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-20|title=What is The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856?|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/hindu-widows-remarriage-act-1856-1563262916-1|access-date=2021-05-18|website=Jagranjosh.com}}</ref>

===Buddhism===
{{Main|Buddhist view of marriage}}
The Buddhist view of marriage considers marriage a secular affair and thus not a [[sacrament]]. Buddhists are expected to follow the civil laws regarding marriage laid out by their respective governments. Gautama Buddha, being a [[kshatriya]] was required by Shakyan tradition to pass a series of tests to prove himself as a warrior, before he was allowed to marry.

===Sikhism===
In a Sikh marriage, the couple walks around the ''[[Guru Granth Sahib]]'' holy book four times, and a holy man recites from it in the [[kirtan]] style. The ceremony is known as '[[Anand Karaj]]' and represents the holy union of two souls united as one.

===Wicca===
Wiccan marriages are commonly known as handfastings and are a celebration held by Wiccans. [[Handfasting]] was originally a medieval ritual and has been revived by contemporary Pagans. In the ritual, the couple's wrists are tied together to symbolize the binding of two lives. It is commonly used in Wicca and Pagan ceremonies, but it has become more mainstream and comes up in both religious and secular vows and readings. Although handfastings vary for each Wiccan they often involve honoring Wiccan deities.<ref name=Bedard>{{cite book |last1=Bedard |first1=Karlie |title=All about Wicca |url=http://rguir.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/977/1/9781283500166.pdf |date=2012 |publisher=University Publications |location=Delhi |isbn=978-1-283-50016-6 |pages=17–18}}</ref> Some Wiccan traditions have a marriage vow "for as long as love lasts" instead of the traditional Christian "till death do us part". The first Wiccan wedding took place in 1960, between [[Frederic Lamond (Wiccan)|Frederic Lamond]] and his wife, Gillian. Most Wiccan traditions will celebrate same-sex and different-sex handfastings.<ref name=Bedard/> The length of commitment varies from a year and a day (after which the vows may be renewed), "as long as love shall last", for a lifetime, or for future incarnations.

Consensual sex is considered sacred for Wiccans. Some traditions perform the Great Rite, in which a High Priest and High Priestess invoke the God and Goddess on each other before making love. It can be used to raise magical energy for the use of spell work. It can also be performed symbolically, using the athame to symbolize masculine energy and the chalice to symbolize feminine energy.<ref>A Wiccan Bible: Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland – p. 124, A. J. Drew – 2003</ref>