Engagement

An engagement, or betrothal, is the period between a couple acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself, during which the couple are described as fiances, betrothed, or engaged to be married. The length of an engagement varies widely and depends on cultural norms or on what the parties themselves agree. Long formal engagements were once common in arranged marriages, sometimes set up by parents for children years before the couple were old enough to marry, a practice that continues in some countries today. A number of traditional Christian denominations maintain optional rites that bless and formally ratify an engaged couple intent to marry. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/