A short history of the couple: How did we form yesterday and today?

Today, finding love is just a few swipes away. Dating apps have revolutionized the way we meet, making the process both simpler and infinitely more complex. But how did we do it before? How did our grandparents, and the generations before them, meet, fall in love, and get involved?

The history of the formation of couples is a fascinating adventure, a mirror of the evolution of our society, our values ​​and our very conception of love.

Embark with us on a little journey through time, from marriage of convenience to love in one click.

Until the 18th century: Alliance before Love

For centuries, across all strata of society, marriage was not a matter of the heart, but a matter of reason. It was a social, economic, and political contract, arranged by families. Love, if it came along, was a bonus, not a prerequisite.

• Strategic Marriage: Among nobles and bourgeois, marriages were undertaken to unite lands, consolidate fortunes, or seal political alliances. The personal feelings of the future spouses were rarely taken into account.
• Controlled Encounters: Encounters were strictly regulated by family and community (balls, religious festivals). The idea of ​​a chance encounter and "love at first sight" was almost nonexistent.

The 19th Century: The Invention of Romantic Love

A new wind is blowing across Europe. Influenced by novels and poets, a new concept is emerging: romantic love. The choice of the heart begins to take precedence over family reasons, at least ideally.

• The Choice of the Heart (Supervised): We begin to be able to choose our partner, but courtship remains highly codified and under the watchful eye of chaperones. The ball becomes the meeting place par excellence.
• The "Marriage Proposal": The man must officially ask his father for his bride's hand, proving that the family retains essential control over the union.

The 20th Century: The Liberation of Love

The 20th century was a century of revolutions. Wars, women's emancipation, mixed education and work, and the sexual revolution of the 1960s would dynamite old conventions.

• New Meeting Places: Couples no longer meet only at the ball, but also at university, at work, in cafes, and at parties with friends. The space for encounters is expanding considerably.
• Love Becomes a Private Matter: Family control weakens. Choosing a partner becomes an increasingly personal and intimate decision.

The 21st Century: Love at Your Fingertips

The arrival of the internet and then smartphones has brought about the biggest transformation in the history of romantic encounters.

• A Love Market? Dating sites and apps have expanded the possibilities, allowing you to meet people far beyond your usual social circle.
• New Codes, New Challenges: This freedom comes with new challenges: the "paradox of choice" (too much choice kills choice), the fear of commitment, the superficiality of first contacts based on a photo...

Conclusion: Different Paths, a Universal Quest

The ways we meet have radically changed, shifting from a social contract to an ultra-technological personal quest. But at its core, the goal remains the same: to find someone with whom to share a journey, build memories, and write a story.

No matter how it began, every love story deserves to be celebrated.

Now that you know the story, discover our guides to celebrating each major milestone in your life as a couple .