Why Covenant Marriage Failed to Take Off
Three states have legalized covenant marriage, which makes divorce difficult. Why didn't it stick among communities preoccupied with family values?
The Genetics of Cousin Marriage
It's conventional wisdom that procreation between first cousins is unhealthy. But what are the actual genetic risks?
When Weddings Went Commercial
The rise of industrial production and commercial marketing transformed the way that well-to-do Americans celebrate weddings.
The Unexpected Effects of the Oklahoma City Bombing
Divorce rates declined considerably in Oklahoma City during the immediate aftermath of the 1995 bombing there. Social scientists have a few theories as to why.
How 17th Century Unmarried Women Helped Shape Capitalism
Under coverture, married English women had no rights to their property, even though unmarried women did, making for a unique system in Europe.
Super Mario, Homer’s Odyssey, and the Meaning of Marriage
Nintendo's Mario and Homer's Odysseus have more in common than you might think.
Why Pay the Costs of a Wedding for One?
Self-marriage may be, at least in some cases, a ritual reclaiming a sense of control when women may have felt they've lost it.
A Natural History of the Wedding Dress
The history of the wedding dress is shorter than the history of weddings, and even shorter still than the history of marriage.
Brigham Young and the Defense of Mormon Polygamy
Mormon leader Brigham Young tried to create a culture of polygamy in the nineteenth century. How did he justify the practice in Victorian-era America?
Selling the Men’s Wedding Ring
How changing mores, cultural pressures, and, yes, the jewelry industry made two-ring wedding ceremonies the norm in America.