STORM2K

According to Pete Caroll, “marriages are contracted by the parents when the children are mature. The young couple is consulted before the final decisions are reached, and the arrangements are ordinarily made two or three years before the wedding is to take place.” The parents inevitably choose spouses for their children from among the Travelers, using such unions to solidify familial friendships and business arrangements. “There are no captives out there,” Pete Caroll continued. “They are allowed to marry outside the Village if they choose.” They never so choose, of course, for, in addition to the pressure from relatives and peers, they know that the culture of the Travelers is far too inimicable to that of the dominant society for marriage with a non-Traveler to be successful. The extent of intracommunity marriage is emphasized by the fact that among the more than 1,500 Travelers in Murphy Village there are only eleven surnames.

vbhoutex wrote:Excuse me, but that is the "biggest" 16 year old I have ever seen with the exception of 2 people I have known. And what happened to a bridesmaid not "overshadowing" the bride, or is that her mother?

Her mother Theresa, 33, who married Missy's father at 16, said: 'I was surprised they wanted to get married so young in this day and age. But we could see they were madly in love.'
The couple married six days after Missy turned 16 at St Mary's Catholic Church in Congleton-Cheshire. After the ceremony-guests in feathers and crystals enjoyed champagne and an all-day buffet at the reception. Girls as young as nine showed off bikini tops, high heels and make-up.
Guest Victoria Docherty, 23, who wore a £700 hotpants and bra outfit, said: 'This isn't unusual - it's just what we do at weddings. It's all very extravagant. Everything is paid for by the bride's daddy.'
Missy and Thomas honeymooned in Turkey before moving into their own £18,000 caravan - a wedding gift from her parents.