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. Whether you want the whole nine yards of flowers, photos, video, and specially created vows along with your ceremony – or whether you prefer to just complete the legalities and leave – you’ll have no trouble finding what you desire. Love them or hate them, a Las Vegas wedding is something of an enigma. Some young ladies did have a bit of a say in which they would be married off to. Apparently, Cicero’s wife and daughter made the choice of spouse for the daughter, all the while assuming that Cicero would be in agreement. He was. Ancient Roman Marriage in the Lower Classes Lower class women were generally married a little later in their lives. Upward Trend in Interracial Marriage At one time it was almost unheard of to have an interracial marriage within your neighborhood, never mind your family, but today, the boundaries of the world are shrinking and tolerance of the unknown and the different is – for the most part – increasing as we discover that despite differences in our beliefs and our culture, fundamentally we are all very much alike. However, despite the fact we live in a society and culture where love and marriage is not socially necessary anymore, there are still some people who prefer to make this commitment to the person they want to spend the rest of their life with, and for many, love and marriage remain firmly together and as much a part of the fairytale as the happy ever after ending the couple hopes for. This waiting period can be waived in the event of one party being close to death or during the end of the bride-to-be’s pregnancy. No physical or blood tests required. Cousins may marry. Minors under 18 are required to obtain a court order before they can apply for a marriage license. You can reach the Massachusetts Department of Vital Statistics at (617) 740-2600.