In my typical old fashioned taste, I was just reminiscing about love stories I read about and watched while growing up and I couldn’t help remembering some of the details that used to accompany the proposal process.
1. Obtaining parental permit: This used to be done by the intending groom; he’d typically ask for his intended’s hand in marriage from her father.
I used to wonder why this was so but I suppose it was because she had to change her name from her father’s to her husband’s.
In any case, it’s not proper to just meet and marry someone without seeking parental consent.
2. Declaration of Assets: This used to be something along the line, “I have a piece of land, a house at the west-end and some money in the bank. Will you marry me?”
Funnily enough, I know of a couple of people who still declare their assets before they get married these days.
3. The Asking: I think it used to be more of “Will you marry me?” than “Marry me”.
The former sounds like a polite request while the latter sounds like an arrogant instruction.
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