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With the spread of the Internet and the collapse of the Soviet Union, there is a new twist in the age-old marriage custom of the mail-order bride. Increasingly, western men are turning to marriage agencies or introduction services to find spouses from the former Soviet Union. In an industry that was traditionally dominated by agencies in the Pacific Rim, this new breed of Russian Internet marriage agencies is rapidly expanding and overtaking the market. The author has found at least 200 different agencies on the Internet that focus on Russia and other Soviet Republics. The popularity of these companies is due to various factors that include culture and economics. However, there is an element of risk for either marriage partner undertaking these ventures. The bride is isolated in a new foreign country, usually unable to speak the language, and often is more vulnerable to abuse. The groom takes the risk that his new wife is just using him for permanent residency status. The whole concept of mail-order brides raises questions itself. Can two people fall in love enough to marry without ever having met? This case proposes to examine this new player in a very old industry, its impact on this market and the legalities involved.

This excerpt from "The World’s Story: A History of the World in Story, Song and Art" and "Vol. II: India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Palestine", describes an 1885 Persian wedding. Note: Many Western sources about Islamic countries exhibit what has come to be known as orientalism. The terms used ("Mohammedan" for instance rather than "Muslim"), and the attitudes exhibited by the writers need to be questioned by modern readers.

All around the world we can find people celebrating the passages from one stage of life to the next with some type of formal ceremony. These ceremonies, such as births, weddings, and funerals, usually incorporate special foods, rituals, and clothing specific to the occasion celebrated. Wedding Traditions explores the specific types of garments worn in marriage ceremonies, including an historical examination of the traditional white wedding dress worn in American and European weddings, as well as an overview of the garments and surrounding traditions of several cultures represented in the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection. Includes pictures of wedding dresses throughout history.

This fact sheet from the Ohio State University Extension, explains how to correctly clean and store quality clothing.

An explanation of traditional ukrainian wedding rituals from Natalie Kononenko, professor of Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Folklore at the University of Virginia. The site brama.com is a site dedicated to providing Ukrainian information and resources.

An explanation of the laws and customs of a Jewish Wedding from Ohr Somayach, a learning center in Jerusalem. For more than 30 years, Ohr Somayach has been instilling Jewish pride in university students the hard way – through knowledge. A world leader in Jewish outreach, Ohr Somayach has always understood that quick fixes for flagging Jewish identity don’t work. And that only Jewish learning can give a young man “ownership” of his heritage, and a deep, enduring sense of pride and identity.

This guide, developed by the University of Virginia Library, is designed to help you select and locate music suitable for your wedding. It does not attempt to be all-inclusive but tries to be representative of the types and styles of music available for weddings of all kinds.

1st Place Muslim Matrimonials is a unique site for marriage minded Muslims around the world. If you are a Muslim and are serious about marriage then here are the reasons for using 1st Place Muslim Matrimonials:rnrn * Enter your profile free of charge * Browse the profiles free of charge * Send messages free of charge We aim to server the broadest spectrum of the Islamic community, whether you are Shi'ite, Ismaili, Sunni Hanafi or Sunni Shafi'i. We strive to reach Muslims in every corner of the world from Pakistan to Canada, from the USA to the Middle East.

Here you will find officiants and wedding celebrants throughout the USA, Canada and the world.