Minotaurs also have their own marriage rituals, and though, for most of my High King's Sword books they are the "bad guys", they are still a people who love, hate, live and die. Here are some of their customs for marriage.
1)Since all minotaurs, women and men, can fight, ritual fighting is a large part of getting married. When a man asks for a woman's hand in marriage a sparing event will occur to see if she will except. If he can beat her, then she will deem him worthy of her hand in marriage, as will her family. There is no holding back, though if the woman really loves the male deeply and is just going to kick his back side, a little restraint may come into play. The only exception to this is if the male is a blacksmith. Blacksmiths are too valuable to put in harms way and thus just being a blacksmith is value enough for any woman who is purposed to.
2) The wedding itself is simple. They stand before their priests, exchange vows of love and devotion, then cut open their arms to exchange blood, signifying that they will live and die for each other. Usually just the family is invited, but close friends and important officials are also invited. The more blacksmiths that can be invited, the more prestige a wedding can gain.
3)The feast is simple, but filling. Fruits and bread are the norm, along with fine wines, dark beers, and treats of elaborate decorations finish it off. Often a wedding feast is a "potluck", with each person invited bringing a dish they like to share. The married couples' family will provide the alcohol and the imported treats, and often a large chunk of the food, but this way people who normally don't show off have a time to show off their cooking abilities.
4) The man always buys/builds the house that the couple move into, though he often has help from the woman's brothers to ensure their sister has a good home.
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