During this period, weddings began to show some signs of what would come in later generations.
They started to become larger and more grandiose.
It is important to know that from the Ancient Tomb Era to the Nara Era, the prevalent form of marriage on this land was "visiting marriages," a result of the matriarchal society. Specifically, the couple lived apart, with each residing in their respective parents' homes. The man would sneak into the woman's home at night, leaving as early as the next morning or staying for several days.
The children would live with the mother, while the man was responsible for providing for the wife and children.
By the Heian Era, there were new changes, and even the nobles began to experiment with some later elements of free love. Men would write love letters and poems to women to court them. If a positive response was received, the man could quietly visit the woman's residence to live with her.
