The ketubah is a document that sets out the basic moral, financial, and conjugal responsibilities that a husband has toward his wife. It is designed to protect the rights of the woman during her marriage and in the event that she is widowed or divorced at some point in time. The document, which is written in the ancient language of Aramic, is signed by the groom in front of two witnesses and given to the bride as part of the wedding ceremony. Gift registries are an easy way to get started in finding the great marriage gift, and even if the couple hasn’t registered at your favorite store, you can still find plenty of ideas. From glasses to photo frames, there are many luxurious and eye-catching items available. Think about getting an engraved set of champagne glasses with the couple’s name on it, or a hand-embroidered decorative pillow. They think it a matter of family shame if one of their own marries out into a different race – this can have dangerous consequences for the people involved as the culture tries to defend what it believes to be a matter of honor. Despite this being a characteristic of the cultures involved, it’s a situation that needs looked at when these cultures are living in countries where basic freedoms to choose are common for all people who live there, even those born into a culture that doesn’t, for the most part, believe this is right. The Rabbi and/or Cantor enter, followed by the grandparents of the bride, escorted by a male family member. The grandparents of the groom are escorted to the front row as well. The groomsmen then enter, walking in pairs. The best man is next to enter, followed by the groom, escorted by his parents. The bridesmaids enter, followed by the maid or matron of honor. All About Traditional Wedding Vows By definition, a vow is a “solemn promise”. Traditional wedding vows, then are the set of solemn promises that each member of a married couple makes to the other on their wedding day. But what do the traditional wedding vows include? Please continue reading to find out more. Persons between 16 and 18 years old are required to have signed parental or guardian consent. Contact the DC offices at 202-442-9009. Massachusetts’s marriage laws have, in recent years, come to the forefront of politics. In 2004, the state began permitting same sex marriages. While there are legal challenges to this law, as of the time of this article same sex partners are permitted to marry, though their status is not recognized throughout most of the United States.