Cancel 2016.2
The Almighty
http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/history_of_marriage_in_western.html
This cite is from the Humboldt University in Berlin. It gives a run down of marriage customs in western civilization. It says:
It was not until the 12th century that a priest became part of the wedding ceremony, and not until the 13th century that he actually took charge of the proceedings. Nevertheless, it remained understood that, even as a sacrament, marriage sprang from the free consent of the two partners, and that therefore neither the parents nor the priest nor the government could affect its validity. It thus became possible for couples to get married secretly if they could not obtain anyone else's approval. It also became possible for very young children to be married, if their parents could coax the necessary consent out of them. Especially aristocratic families often took advantage of this possibility when they found a politically advantageous match for their little sons or daughters. On the average, however, males married in their mid-twenties, and females in their early teens (i.e., soon after their first menstruation).
Which is what I said several posts ago... but if you need Germans to confirm it for you so be it... friggin lawyers...