The essays in Marriage Proposals envision a variety of scenarios in which adults would continue to join themselves together seeking permanent companionship and sustenance, linking sexual intimacy to a long commitment, usually caring for each other, and building new families. What would disappear are the legal consequences associated with marriage. No joint income tax return; no immigration privileges like the “fiancée visa” or the right to bring in a husband or wife; no special statuses for prison visits or hospital decisions; no prerogative to remain silent in court by claiming “confidential marital communications”; no pension entitlements; no marital benefits and detriments regarding criminal or civil liability. The anthology makes a unique contribution amid the two marriage furors of the day: same-sex marriage and the Bush Administration's “marriage movement” (that marrying is good and more marriages would be better for society). Abolishing the legal category of marriage is the only policy suggestion in current American discourse that speaks to both causes. Activists on both sides of the same-sex marriage fight, along with marriage movement partisans, all seek improvement through law reform. Marriage Proposals gives them a viable reform—abolition of marriage as a legal status—for fighting battles in the courtroom and the streets. Contributors include Anita Bernstein, Peggy Cooper Davis, Martha Albertson Fineman, Linda C. McClain, Marshall Miller, Lawrence Rosen, Mary Lyndon Shanley, and Dorian Solot.

More than 50 newlywed couples share their proposal experiences in a charmingly illustrated collection that's perfect for Valentine's Day. These unabashedly sentimental stories run the gamut from the classic to the outrageous, from the elegant to the naughty--and each one captures all the magic and romance of being in love. 26 illustrations.

How To Propose: Congratulations on finding your future spouse! The knowledge that you have found the person you want to marry may be the most exciting (and terrifying!) moment in your life. There is one thing that unifies all men as they plan their proposals. They want to make their soon-to-be fiancée happy - to see the overwhelming joy in her eyes as she says yes. This book will provide you with all the necessary details and recommendations for a painless proposal, including: Seven Steps to the Perfect Proposal Step 1: Pick the Date Step 2a: Determine What Style of Ring She Prefers Step 2b: Find Out Her Ring Size Step 3a: Choose the Ring Step 3b: Pay for the Ring Step 3c: Get Insurance Step 4: Choose a Proposal Location Step 5: Get a Parental Blessing Step 6: Rehearse What to Say Step 7: Propose! Ten Things I Wish I Knew for My Proposal 100 Unique Proposal Ideas by Category Spring Proposal Ideas

The story tells of the efforts of a nervous and excitable man who starts to propose to an attractive young woman, but who gets into a tremendous quarrel over a boundary line.

Dessing examined the effects of migration on the lifecycle rituals of Moroccan, Turkish and Surinamese Muslims in the Netherlands. She explores how Islamic rituals marking birth, circumcision, marriage, and death have responded and accomodated to the Dutch legal and social context.

The book describes the three major phases of the marriage ritual (matchmaking, betrothal, the wedding), and presents thematic issues, such as the youth sub-culture, gift exchanges, the honor ethos. It is based on a wealth of primary documents, mainly manuscripts, in various literary genres.