Book excerpt: Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 47. Chapters: Hungarian wedding, Indian wedding, Pakistani wedding, Weddings in the United States, Marriage and wedding customs in the Philippines, Marriage in Pakistan, Dowry law in India, Egyptian wedding, Mar Thoma weddings, Traditional Vietnamese wedding, Telugu wedding ceremony, Punjabi wedding traditions, Anand Karaj, Bengali wedding, Indian wedding photography, Hindi wedding songs, Iyer wedding, Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., Russian wedding, Babul, Ukrainian wedding traditions, Saurath Sabha, Mangalsutra, Saptapadi, V fely, Icelandic weddings, Gaye holud, Indian wedding card, Vedic wedding ceremony, Poruwa ceremony, Sehra, Rajput wedding, Thali necklace, Brahmanippattu, Topor, Varmala. Excerpt: Weddings in the United States share many similarities and differences with each other, and to other wedding ceremonies in other parts of the world. There are many traditions and customs, most of which are based on a wide array of factors such as religion, culture, and social norms. In ancient times, weddings were based out of commodity, rather than desire or love. In fact, the word "wedding" implies the security the groom's family provides to the family of the bride when the couple marries. Additionally, brides were chosen based on their economic worth. The wedding had little to do with love. This trend lasted until the 19th Century, when couples started to marry for love. During the 19th Century in America, weddings were usually small family gatherings at the home of either the parents of the bride or the parents of the groom. The ceremonies were intimate and not elaborate. The announcement of the newly married couple took place at their church on the Sunday following the wedding. Weddings did not become elaborate until the 1820s and 1830s, when upper class couples would have wedding ceremonies similar to what is common today....