▁era ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁and ▁early ▁modern ▁era , ▁women ▁could ▁marry ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁( while ▁for ▁boys ▁it ▁was ▁from ▁ 1 4 ) ▁and , ▁while ▁many ▁girls ▁from ▁the ▁social ▁el ite ▁married ▁in ▁their ▁te ens , ▁most ▁in ▁the ▁Low lands ▁married ▁only ▁after ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁life - cycle ▁service , ▁in ▁their ▁tw ent ies . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁marriage ▁may ▁have ▁followed ▁hand fast ing , ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁bet ro th al , ▁which ▁in ▁the ▁High lands ▁may ▁have ▁effectively ▁been ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁trial ▁marriage , ▁although ▁recent ▁scholar ship ▁suggests ▁this ▁idea ▁is ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁late ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁New ▁Age ▁myth ology . ▁Mar ri ages , ▁particularly ▁higher ▁in ▁society , ▁were ▁often ▁political ▁in ▁nature ▁and ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁complex ▁negoti ations ▁over ▁the ▁to cher ▁( d ow ry ). ▁Some ▁moth ers ▁took ▁a ▁leading ▁role ▁in ▁negoti ating ▁mar ri ages , ▁as ▁Lady ▁Glen or chy ▁did ▁for ▁her ▁children ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 5 7 0 s , ▁or ▁as ▁match m akers , ▁finding ▁suitable ▁and ▁compatible ▁partners ▁for ▁others . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁marriage ▁was ▁a ▁sacr ament ▁and ▁the ▁key ▁element ▁in ▁valid ity ▁was ▁consent . ▁The ▁sacr amental ▁status ▁was ▁removed ▁at ▁the ▁Re formation , ▁but ▁the ▁central ity ▁of ▁consent ▁remained