Any children of their union were considered illegitimate, since their own relationship was not legitimate. Some women became concubines of married men because their families were not able to afford to provide a dowry for them. This was considered an embarrassment. Many slaves lived in this manner. The relationship was not meant to be permanent; it was only supposed to last until the slaves had gained their freedom. In an arranged marriage the couple knows they have faults and are waiting to discover what they are and how they will work around them. In Indian there are several different arranged marriage that can be performed, one is old school, a modern one and then the western arranged marriage. The old school is more when the couple never gets to meet until their wedding day, which makes it kind of hard to like or dislike the person you are marrying. If you intend to live with someone as a married couple but do not wish to enter into a common law marriage, you should each sign an agreement stating that you are each free, independent entities and do not wish to marry or become committed in the eyes of the law. The United States Constitution requires that all states recognize marriages that are legal in another state. Your spouse’s friends will be jealous of such a romantic proposal story! Go Somewhere New If you cannot think of any marriage proposal ideas at places that mean something to your relationship, start a new memory by selecting a romantic new place. Find somewhere beautiful and memorable that sets the perfect backdrop for your proposal. 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. Please count the moments of happiness that you have felt. Then think about some of the material things, are they put away or gone? The material things seemingly just disappear while moments of happiness linger with us forever. How to find happiness in a marriage is by your attitude. True happiness is an attitude of noticing the good constantly coming our way.