Compose a 1750 words assignment on family in europe history.

Compose a 1750 words assignment on family in europe history. Needs to be plagiarism free! Though the Reformists opposed this use of marriage being a sacrament as the means to maintain control on the marriage ceremony, they too followed the requirement for the marriage ceremony, which includes the speaking of the words that tie the man together to take place within a church and under the supervision of a clergyman. Thus marriage as a religious ceremony consisted of the man and woman taking their oath in a church environment under the supervision of a member of the clergy. As the written word became more in use and the Church gradually introduced forms a form of registering marriages on paper, so that it could uphold any scrutiny.

These practices of the Church were not necessarily followed in all parts of Europe. In these parts of Europe, the marriage ceremony was purely a civil ceremony with the marriage ceremony taking place outside the environment of the Church and in the presence of an important civilian or an individual with legal authority like a notary. Thus the oath between the man and woman in a civil ceremony was taken in homes, most often at the residence of the bride with a civilian authority presiding over the marriage ceremony. The marriage ceremony under this practice included the creation of an official document that gave the marriage legal status. (1).

The rituals associated with marriage started with the negotiations on the contract of marriage between the man and woman and on arriving at an agreement the contract was signed. The next ritual was the publishing of the three wedding banns in the Church, which was a step taken by the Church to verify any impediments in marriage between the individuals and the series of banns started three weeks prior to the wedding. Dowry was an accepted social norm and it was often paid in installments with the final installment on the wedding day. In some arrangements, the payment of dowry installments extended into the first year of marriage. Betrothal was the most significant ritual associated with marriage. The betrothal was celebrated ceremoniously, as it was considered a step in establishing the relationship between the man and woman.