Courtship to Marriage

An answer to a young Ukrainian woman’s question about relationships, such as how to go from courtship to marriage, especially arranged marriage, in 2025.

By Mark D. Harris

I traveled to Ukraine earlier this month to teach World Religions to students at the Ukraine Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv. My 16 students were undergraduates, about half male and half female. Less than 50% were married, and all were Christian. While we studied the Unification Church, the “Moonies,” the discussion moved to their practice of arranged marriages. One young woman asked what I thought of arranged marriages. This article is in answer to her concerns.

The Problem

Much like in Western nations, marriage rates have declined in Ukraine.[1] Fertility rates, the number of children each woman will have during her reproductive lifetime, have also dropped.[2] Ukraine was losing people before the Russians invaded in February 2022, and the demographic situation is far worse after three years of war. As in most of the West, relations between men and women are marked by mistrust and antipathy.[3] Women can suffer abuse, men can lose their livelihoods on the flimsiest of accusations, and both are the enemy of each other. Progressives have no idea what men and women actually are, and push singleness or relationships that can never produce children. In such an environment, one can conclude that, intentionally or not, Ukraine, all of the West, and much of the world are committing demographic suicide.

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and other religious traditions encourage marriage and parenthood. Acknowledging the reality that humanity cannot survive without people, and people are biologically necessary to produce people, every successful culture on the globe is and always has been pro-natal. Elaborate rituals, scriptural encouragements, social mores, and a host of people worked together to ensure that young men and women married at the right time and had children. Athens and Sparta may have encouraged same-sex contact, but both still required citizens to have heterosexual spouses. Fun may be fun, but it was more important for the cities to make more Athenians and Spartans. Physical survival trumps decadent behavior.

Insofar as secular humanism is the prevailing worldview, these pronatal elements fade away. In the modern, godless, and hyper individualistic world, there is no thing and no one to help young people navigate the treacherous waters of human relationships, or to repair them when they inevitably hit rocky shoals. The Bible teaches, “it is not good for man to be alone,” but the 21st-century secular zeitgeist prefers people to be their own god and thus exclude everyone else. Researchers and subjects slant studies to “prove” that lifetime singleness is as good as or better than lifelong marriage.

This article attempts to move Western culture away from personal atomization and towards cooperation with others in our most intimate relationships. Marriage and family used to be a lifetime goal shared by nearly everyone, and both should be again today. Our lives and our societies depend on it.

Goin’ Courtin’

The movie musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) depicts the attempts of seven brothers, all backwoodsmen in the Oregon Territory in 1850, to find wives. In one scene, the female lead, Milly, tries to teach the brothers how to woo a woman to the altar. The song is Goin’ Courtin’[4].

MILLIE

Goin’ courtin’, goin’ courtin’
Oh it sets your senses in a whirl.
Goin’ courtin’, goin’ courtin’
Dudin’ up to go and see your girl.
Oh, it’s fun to hunt and shoot a gun,
Or to catch a rabbit on the run
But you’ll find it’s twice as sportin’ goin’ courtin’.

Now there’s lots o’ things you gotta know
Be sure the parlor light is low
Y’ sidle up and squeeze her hand
Let me tell you fella’s that it’s grand.
You hem and haw a little while
She gives you kinda half a smile.
You cuddle up she moves away
Then the strategy comes into play.

Goin’ courtin’, goin’ courtin’
If you find it hard to break the ice
Goin’ courtin’, goin’ courtin’
Here’s a little feminine advice.
Roll your eyes and heave a little sigh.
Grunt and groan like you’re about to die.
That is what’s known as emotin’ goin’ courtin’!

BENJAMIN (spoken)
how ’bout sparkin’

MILLY (spoken)
and parlor’s darkin’
And you’re longing for a fond embrace

GIDEON (spoken)
What about pettin’

EPHRAIM (spoken)
And sofa settin’

CALEB (spoken)
Ah, suppose she up and slaps your face?

MILLY
Just remember “blessed are the meek”
Don’t forget to turn the other cheek,
Pretty soon you’ll both be larkin’,
Goin’ sparkin’?

Goin’ dancin’

BOYS
Goin’ dancin’?

MILLY
At a fancy ball or minuet.
Goin’ dancin’,
You’ll impress her with your etiquette.

FRANK (spoken)
You mean that men are learnin’ how to dance?

MILLY
Yes, it came direct from Paris, France
It’ll help your romancin’ goin’ dancin’.

BROTHERS
Goin’ courtin’, goin’ courtin’
Oh, it sees your senses in a whirl
Goin’ courtin’, goin’ courtin’
Duddin’ up to go and see your girl.
Oh it’s fun to shoot a gun
Or to catch a rabbit on the run,
But you’ll find it’s twice as sportin’
Goin’ courtin’.

How would these rules for courting fare in 2025? In many cases, these rules would work out fine. In a few situations, however, the results could be devastating. Let’s look at Milly’s advice:

Men and women are taught to dress, and do everything else, for themselves, irregardless of what anyone else thinks. To “dude up” to see your girl implies that you are dressing nicely to please her.
A man “sidling up” may violate her space and make her feel uncomfortable. She may find it “creepy,” and that it gives her “the ick.” The woman might then tell her friends, or even post a video of the encounter on the internet. The man could become the object of scorn for dozens, or millions, of people. For him to even look at her, if she didn’t like it, could bring the same result.
“Squeezing her hand” violates her bodily autonomy and could be considered sexual assault. In addition to the creep, the ick, and infamy, the offending man could lose his job or even be arrested. In 2025, every physical touch must be preceded by explicit verbal consent.[5]
“She gives you kinda half a smile” can rightfully be considered an invitation to proceed, but when a man “cuddles up” and then “she moves away,” such movement is a strongly implied “stop.” To fail to stop is evidence of sexual harassment or even assault.
Sighing and groaning imply weakness on the part of the man. While women claim to want “vulnerability,” they don’t want weakness in a man. “Creepy” and “the ick” could result.
In the past, a woman could indicate her strong displeasure when she “up and slaps your face.” The man would stop whatever he was doing and back off. The slap might or might not end the relationship. A slap is momentarily uncomfortable but leaves no lasting injury. It was once considered not to be a big deal. Now, men, and in one case a woman, have been convicted of misdemeanor battery for slapping someone else.[6]
Etiquette may be appreciated or may be interpreted as weakness or snobbery.
Dancing remains an accepted part of courting.

It seems that Milly’s advice for courting in 1954 may be acceptable to most people in 2025. However, her advice may end up with some well-meaning but naïve man losing his reputation, his job, and even his freedom. Earlier in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Adam Pontipee, the male lead, proposes to Milly. He describes his idea of courting.

“Back east, we would have met on a Sunday, leaving church. Six months later, I would have asked you, ‘Could I walk you home?’ Next two or three years, I would’ve sat in your front parlor every Wednesday night. Finally, I would have asked your father, ‘Could I marry you?’ But here there’s not time.”

Adam’s courting process may please the 100% informed consent crowd, but he is light on the details of what he would actually do those Wednesday nights in the parlor. Feminists would bristle that Adam would ask Milly’s father for permission to marry Milly but not Milly herself. Adam certainly seems to recognize the importance of winning a girl’s family. So the examples in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers may not serve men or women well in 2025.

The modern world has worries and complications that Millie and Adam never imagined, and some, also present in the past, that they never mentioned.

Society today is not sure what men and women are, how many genders there are, and how the genders should interact with each other. Unbeknownst to him, a man’s date may be another man.
The goal today is often to get the woman, or the man, into bed rather than to the altar. For some, marriage is not an objective, and not even a desirable outcome.
The men and women are expected to meet, court, and marry largely by themselves, without help from others. Certainly, no one besides the people involved should have a veto over their relationship.
Women suffer well-publicized physical violence from men. This fear is real.
Violence has been expanded to include anything from murder to an unintended verbal slight or an unwanted look. The bar of acceptable conduct is so high that no one can meet it. If every awkward moment is a “Microaggression,” relationships and people will be destroyed.
If a woman learns a man’s name, does an internet search to find his family and employment, befriends his friends, and arranges a “chance” meeting with him, she is strong and independent. If a man does it, he is a stalker.
The difference is less what the man does than how the woman responds. How she feels is more important than his actions. Additionally, it is not only how she reacts at the time but also how she reacts in the future. Many a woman has changed her story, resulting in a social, occupational, and legal catastrophe for a man.

In one notorious video, a black male Uber driver picks up three bikini-clad white women. He looks in the back seat to see who is in his car, if his passengers are wearing seat belts, and to check his blind spots. One girl says, “Stop looking at us.” The driver replied, “I am just trying to bag out and do my job and keep my five-star rating.”[7] He looked back again for the same reasons, and the second girl accused him likewise. He tried to explain again what he was doing. They kept accusing him. He never touched them or even said anything inappropriate. Finally, the driver ordered the girls out of his car. On her way out, one girl said, “I will be reporting to Uber that you were sexually grasping us.”[8]

Since the interaction was caught on video and the driver is so plainly in the right, this incident will (hopefully) not end his career. Had there not been a camera and had the three women testified against him, the driver would probably have been fired, charged, tried, convicted, and jailed. Nothing that he could say, in the modern sexual climate, could save him.

In this environment, it seems a miracle that anyone ever dates or marries in the US and similar cultures. But what can help men and women who wish to marry?

Marriage for Love (or Chosen Marriage)

This is the commonly used term for the route from courtship to marriage in the West. The man and woman somehow meet, navigate their relationship waters primarily by themselves, decide to marry, and marry. Sleeping together and cohabitation are the standard before marriage. The motivator for the relationship and marriage is physical attraction and a mutual feeling of love. Outside people such as friends and family may help at various points along the way, such as introducing the man and woman to each other or providing timely advice. But these others have very circumscribed roles and no veto power over the relationship.

What about mail-order brides?

Mail order brides are women, typically from Asia, Latin America, or Eastern Europe, who are explicitly seeking a husband abroad. There are about 150,000 mail-order brides worldwide. Companies that provide mail-order brides provide some safeguards for the parties involved, but the desired outcome is specifically marriage. Mail-order bridal organizations have many similarities with online dating, and they are expensive. The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) (2005) includes requirements for US citizens. Some mail-order bride companies are fronts for human trafficking.

Some men seek partners through these agencies.

What about arranged marriages?

Faced with such a hostile world, Christian young adults are searching for help. “I know the problems with dating now. Are arranged marriages bad?” asked one young Ukrainian woman in my class. I replied, “Well, first we have to know what arranged marriages are.”

According to Merriam-Webster, an arranged marriage is “a marriage in which the spouses are chosen for each other by their parents.”[9] Other sources have slightly different definitions and say little about the process by which it is done. Arranged marriage was the norm in most or all societies from antiquity to modern times. It should be contrasted with the modern practice of “choice marriage” or “marrying for love,” in which the individuals involved meet, handle the courtship, decide to marry, and marry, as noted above.

For centuries, marriage was primarily an economic institution, with one man and one woman uniting their lives to support each other, care for each other, produce and raise offspring, meet sexual needs, and support the community. Love grew with proximity and overcoming life’s struggles together. For royals, marriage was a way to produce an heir to the throne, unite kingdoms, and avoid war. Love and attraction mattered but were not preeminent.

Common men developed skills to earn a livelihood and deal with the reasonably anticipated problems of life. Depending upon the society, this may have involved hunting, agriculture, building, repair, and war. Tasks that societies gave to men were consistent with their larger body size, physical strength, aggressiveness, and the fact that men could not carry babies. Women labored in and close to the home. This included cooking, gardening, child rearing, sewing, and cleaning. These tasks matched females’ biological strengths and weaknesses and their need for protection. Women were protected and valued because they were the only way to maintain a society. A people group alone on an isolated tropical island with 100 women and 10 men will survive and grow. A people group with 100 men and 10 women will not.

The most common marriage arrangement in every culture was between one biological man and one biological woman. Wealthy and powerful men often had multiple wives, but the average man had one. Women did not have multiple husbands for many reasons, the most important of which was to track paternity and subsequently inheritance. Islam allows each man to have up to four wives and many concubines, and paternity is easy to trace. Every major religion values a woman’s virginity before marriage, and no major religion allows one woman to have multiple husbands. Historically, if a man wanted more sexual partners, he married more women. If a woman wanted more sexual partners, she took on a lover.

Types of Arranged Marriage

Political marriages, such as those in medieval Europe, may have allowed little input from the bride or groom. Suppose that King A of Country A decided that he wanted a marriage alliance with Country B. His ministers would contact King B of Country B, and representatives from both kingdoms would negotiate the terms of marriage between Prince A and Princess B. Prince A and Princess B may never have met, except for trading doctored portraits, and may have had no say in their marriage. To great pomp and ceremony, the marriage would occur, and hopefully, an heir would come. If he didn’t like Princess B all that much, Prince A could always have a slew of concubines to meet his needs. Princess B probably did not have lovers but would hopefully be satisfied with popularity, wealth, and pageantry. If her son was powerful and lucky enough to seize the throne, his mother, Princess B, could also have power.

At the other end of the spectrum, suppose that Commoner A wanted to find a wife for his Son A. Commoner A, his wife, and their extended family lived in a village with little moving in and out. Everyone knew everyone else in town, having lived together for many generations. Commoner A would approach Commoner B, the father of Daughter B. Both families would already know the strengths and weaknesses of Son A and Daughter B, including their compatibilities and their desires. Everyone in the village would share a religion, a language, and cultural norms. Marriage outside the village was discouraged, so all parties involved had a limited number of potential spouse choices. Son A, Daughter B, and all their friends would informally approve or disapprove of the liaison. Sleeping together and cohabitation before marriage would be unheard of. The groom, or at least his family, needed to have money, The bride needed to be beautiful. Poor men and ugly women were harder to arrange marriages for, and sometimes subterfuge or servitude was required. The plight of Leah in the Bible is a classic example (Genesis 29). The fathers, Commoners A and B, may have made the final decision, but everyone would have a voice… most of all, Son A and Daughter B.

Once the marriage occurred, divorce was rare. Both parties’ families and friends were heavily invested in the newlywed couple, and they all lived close to one another. Commoner B would make sure that Son A treated his daughter well. Physical domestic violence occurred, but was limited by the close involvement of friends and family in one another’s lives. Social pressures encouraged marital tolerance if not harmony. If the couple failed to produce children, which was typically blamed on the woman, the man could take on another wife. He usually had to keep his earlier one. The story of Hannah and Peninnah (1 Samuel 1-3) is an example.

An example of arranged marriage – Isaac and Rebekah

The Biblical account of Isaac getting Rebekah to wive is a good example of arranged marriages in antiquity (Genesis 24).

Abraham commissioned his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. The negotiations were thus done by third parties rather than those emotionally invested in the choice. On such a vital matter, Abraham made his servant swear to follow his instructions (VV 1-2).
Abraham sent the servant to his relatives several hundred miles away rather than selecting a wife from the neighboring tribes. In so doing, Abraham drastically reduced the pool of eligible women for his son (VV 3-4).
Abraham undoubtedly kept up a correspondence with his extended family and knew that Laban had an eligible sister. He and Sarah likely knew something about Rebekah and other young eligible women among the cousins. Likewise, Laban knew how Abraham was faring in Canaan. Isaac was 40 years old, and Rebekah was probably in her late teens.
The servant asked Abraham what to do if the girl refused. In this culture, the young lady had the final choice. Her family probably reduced her exposure to eligible men, thus limiting her choice to those who were acceptable to her brother and family (V5).
Abraham trusted that God would give Isaac a good wife, but he also did everything necessary to make that happen.
The servant knew that no one in their culture would give their daughter (or sister) to a man without means. He loaded ten camels with presents for the prospective bride and her family. Wealth has always been important to women and their families in the dating market (V10).
Abraham’s servant was both wise and faithful. He asked God to provide a wife, and also devised a plan to test whether the prospective bride was kind, physically fit, and hardworking. Camels can drink up to 30 gallons, and so the woman that the servant chose would have to draw almost 300 gallons of water. At eight pounds per gallon, she would have had to pull 2,400 pounds of water out of the well. If her pot carried 15 gallons, she would have had to lift her 120-pound pot 20 times (VV 11-14).
The Bible author noted three things about Rebekah (VV 15-16):
1. She was the daughter of Abraham’s brother. She was eligible to be Isaac’s bride.
2. She was very beautiful. Like it or not, female beauty has always been a major factor in the selection of a wife.
3. She was a virgin, having never had sex with a man. Again, like it or not, men had flings with promiscuous women, but did not want to marry them.
Without knowing what the servant had prayed, Rebekah passed the test he had made. She went further and told the servant about where to find straw and feed for the camels (VV 17-23).
Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah expensive gifts (V22). This was proof positive that a proposal of marriage was at hand.
Realizing that God had granted his request, Abraham’s servant praised the Lord (VV 23-27).
Rebekah ran to her mother’s relatives to share the news. She was beginning to realize what was happening (V28).
Word spread quickly throughout Rebekah’s family. Laban, Rebekah’s older brother and the man of the house, saw the gifts and went to meet Abraham’s servant (VV 30-32).
The servant went to Rebekah’s house to meet her family, ensure that Rebekah was from the same family as Abraham, and begin the marriage discussion (VV 33-49). The servant was careful to emphasize Isaac’s wealth, which was inherited from Abraham (VV 35-36). He was also careful to mention the hand of God in the matter.
Laban and Rebekah’s mother Bethuel were convinced that Isaac would be a good match for Rebekah and gave permission for Rebekah to marry him (VV 50-51).
Satisfied that he had achieved his goal, Abraham’s servant gave expensive presents to Laban, Bethuel, and Rebekah. Then he celebrated with the family (VV 53-54).
Laban wanted to prolong the celebration, but Abraham’s servant wanted to leave immediately (VV 55-56).
Laban and Bethuel asked Rebekah if she consented to go, thus giving Rebekah the final decision (VV 57-58). Notice that Isaac did not have a say in the selection of his bride. He allowed the servant and his father to choose for him.
Rebekah’s family blessed her. They did not ask God for her health and wealth, but that she would bear many children (VV 59-60).

In this Biblical example, Abraham limited the pool of possible mates for Isaac to those who were acceptable to the man and woman involved. Abraham chose a wise servant who asked for the Lord’s blessing and looked for character first in a mate for his master. The servant presented Isaac as a desirable mate. He was forthright in his desires and generous to Rebekah and her family. Rebekah took the servant at his word, as did her family. She apparently felt that character and wealth were more important in her mate than a handsome appearance. Isaac outsourced the process entirely.

The most important part of this courtship narrative is the overriding hand of God. He brought Isaac and Rebekah together through the hands of human mediaries. The humans in this drama recognized His hand. For Christians, the best place to find a marriage partner is at a Christian organization such as a church, a school, or a missions group. The best thing to do in a Christian courtship is to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The specific activities matter less than the obedience to God.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Arranged Marriages

In 2025, arranged marriages are controversial. Advantages of arranged marriages include:

Shared values and beliefs help to build a life together.
There is no ambiguity about intentions. The man and the woman want to marry.
Trusted family and friends help you find a mate. All the work of the relationship is not on the couple alone.
Working together on this important issue strengthens extended families.
After the wedding, the family keeps helping the new couple.
Families, and not just individuals, are bound together.
The decision is based on compatibility, not emotion.
Arranged marriages honor cultural traditions in group-oriented cultures.
The divorce rate in arranged marriages is 4%, compared to 40-50% in non-arranged marriages.[10]
Arranged marriages keep financial assets in the family.

Widely considered disadvantages of arranged marriage are as follows:[11]

Marriage can feel like a contract instead of love. Arranged marriages are said to start cold and heat, while “choice” or “love” marriages start hot and cool down.
Couples may not yet trust each other.
A bad family name can hinder marriage possibilities.
The family can become too involved.
The couple may feel pressured to get married.
It could be harder to get a divorce.
The couple may be a poor match.
Arranged marriages may encourage caste/social discrimination
Nobody arranges marriages for same-sex couples.
Individual choice may be minimized.

Arranged marriage remains the standard in many group-oriented cultures worldwide. Humans feel hot and cold towards everything at various times, and marriage is no exception. In the rough days, people may only stay married because they honor their contract. Trust in a person is a function of time and experience with that person, regardless of whether their marriage was love/chosen or arranged. Family involvement goes up and down, and a bad family name impacts every area of life. A poor match is more likely in a “choice” than in an arranged marriage. Marriage cannot be expected to fix caste or social discrimination. Same-sex liaisons are objectionable in every major religion, so it is no surprise that few families support them.

Getting input from others on who you date and marry

Our culture prizes the individual above all else. We often resent those who try to advise us when their advice is contrary to our opinions, even if we ask for the advice. When the topic is as fraught as love and marriage, our Reason retreats before a torrent of scalding emotional lava. Friends and family still have their Reason, but the person involved doesn’t want to hear it unless it confirms his or her desires.

Years ago, a close friend was attending college in Northern California. He met a girl, and soon they were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana together. Their intimacy grew, and he was soon smitten. Neither my friend nor his girlfriend was succeeding in school. My friend sent me a letter and a picture of her. He asked me whether he should propose marriage. I said, “Absolutely not.” She was not good for him in any way and would likely be a snare to him throughout his life.

My friend was livid. He found every Bible passage he could locate about judging, and he sent me a scorching letter, giving it to me “with both barrels”. We had a lively conversation when he came back to Southern California. But slowly, his ardor for the girl faded. To his credit, my friend admitted that I was right and broke it off. Within a year, he met the girl whom he would later marry. They have been together for over 30 years.

Most people have others who know and love them. If these people are wise and virtuous, their advice may be like gold. Uncolored by emotion and sexual energy, they provide a valuable barometer of whether someone would be a good match for the long term. Others’ input may be as little as my response to my friend or as much as an arranged marriage. But their opinions should not be quickly discarded.

Conclusion

Each individual and family will have to decide for themselves how they want to address the issue of intersex relationships and marriage. Many Westerners will stick with “choice marriage” because, being extreme individualists, we believe that it is our right. Many Easterners will stick with arranged marriage for cultural reasons. Others will try to use whatever works to get them the best chance of marital success. A few consider marriage irredeemably oppressive and oppose all intersex relationships. Perhaps our Western “choice” or “love” marriages need more characteristics of arranged marriages; involvement from outside the couple.

With certain caveats, the advice that Milly and Adam give about courting is good. Some guidelines are better than none. If both men and women know what to do in a relationship, they will do it better. But more than rules, character (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control) makes the difference in a relationship and in all of life.

Abraham prayed for a wife for Isaac, but also did all he could to make it happen. Years ago, a young male Sunday School teacher asked the women in his class, all Millennials, if they would make a blueberry pie to please a young man they were interested in, and perhaps if he gave them hunting game to eat. Every woman said “no.” Their attitude was that if he wanted a pie, he could make it or buy it for himself. My mother-in-law, a member of the Silent Generation, said, “If I were interested in a man, I would make him a pie for sure. It would be an easy thing to do to make him happy.” What did the Boomer and Xer mothers of the Millennials and Gen Zers teach their girls? What did the fathers teach their boys, or were they even around to teach them?

Solomon in Proverbs has the last word. “House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” Proverbs 19:14. Abraham’s servant knew and thanked God for His mercy. He gave Isaac a good wife. Those of us who are married need to thank Him for what He has done and pray that He will bless others the same way. The unmarried among us need to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then all these things, such as marriage, will be added unto us.”

Perhaps with a little help from our friends (and family).

[1] Ukrainians got married less and divorced more in 2023. https://opendatabot.ua/en/analytics/marriages-divorces-2023.

[2] Ukraine Fertility Rate 1950-2025. https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/UKR/ukraine/fertility-rate.

[3] Men in Ukraine hold fast to gender norms, landmark study finds. https://www.unfpa.org/news/men-ukraine-hold-fast-gender-norms-landmark-study-finds.

[4] https://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/s/sevenbridesforsevenbrotherslyrics/goincourtinlyrics.html.

[5] https://legalclarity.org/touching-someone-without-the-persons-consent-is-referred-to-as-what/.

[6] https://legalclarity.org/legal-consequences-and-liabilities-of-slapping-someone/.

[7] He may have said “back out.”

[8] Uber driver gets accused of being a creep – Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/reel/4027287100853138.

[9] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arranged%20marriage.

[10] Are Arranged Marriages More Successful Than Choice-Based Marriages? https://chadie.org/2024/01/10/are-arranged-marriages-more-successful-than-choice-based-marriages/#:~:text=While%20the%20divorce%20rate%20in%20the%20U.S.%20is,by%20or%20a%20direct%20result%20of%20marital%20infidelity.%29.

[11] Arranged marriage: the only 10 pros and cons that matter. https://hackspirit.com/arranged-marriage-pros-and-cons/