Betrothal
A formal promise to marry, with its own ceremony and gifts in many cultures.
Also: betrothed, troth, plighting
A betrothal is a promise to marry, made by the couple or by their families, with a ceremony, gifts and sometimes a contract. In Europe it was historically a binding step, as with the Jewish kiddushin and the Christian espousals, and in English the word troth in plight thee my troth comes from it. Today the practice survives in forms such as the Yoruba introduction, the Latin American pedida de mano and the exchange of engagement rings. Betrothal of children, in which a marriage is agreed for them, is a human-rights concern and illegal in many countries.