To make distinctions in marriage for adopted people would be to undermine the very reason that adoption laws were formulated in the first place, which was to place adopted children on exactly the same basis as natural children, with no distinction or discrimination in law at all. However, such marriages may be possible under the following circumstances addressed in this article.

Marriage between people who are closely connected by blood (consanguinity) has been forbidden by many cultures throughout history. Consanguinity, literally meaning common blood, describes a family relationship between two individuals and is measured in terms of the degree of consanguinity.

The word 'wedding' derives from the Anglo-Saxon 'wed', which means 'to pledge'. This is what a marriage entails - each partner making individual pledges. For such pledges to constitute a legal marriage, it has to be a public declaration, witnessed by at least two independent adults.

Unfortunately, statistics now show that over one third of modern marriages end in divorce, and nearly half of all wedding ceremonies now include either one or both partners who are marrying for a second time. But looking on the bright side, these statistics also mean that not only do 2 in 3 marriages NOT end in divorce, it also means that those who DO get divorced don't seem to be disillusioned with married life, and are willing to give marriage another try with someone else.