Roman marriages were arranged by the father to strengthen social and political ties, not based on love. Young women were expected to marry around age 14. The wedding ceremony involved the bride and groom holding hands in public to show their agreement to marry. After getting dressed in traditional wedding attire like a yellow tunic and veil, the bride was escorted to her new husband's home by the groom as guests followed, receiving nuts and cakes along the way. Once inside, the bride lit the fireplace with her marriage torch before it was extinguished and raced for by guests. [/SUMMARY]