No two weddings are arranged and, celebrated in precisely the same way. They vary with social standing, with the social distance between the parties, and with area. Even within a single village, two normal weddings of similar scale may vary in a number of details. The season for proper weddings is the winter, preferably early, before the severe snow, or late - after the thaw has begun. The winter I passed in Sakaltutan was one of acute economic shortage and very severe weather; I witnessed only two full-scale weddings within the village, and the departure of two brides to other villages. In Elbashï, a homicide prevented any weddings at all in the autumn of 1951, though twenty were planned. Summer weddings are always limited affairs, and I only saw one of them in each village. I did, however, attend two full-scale weddings in other villages as a guest from Sakaltutan. The composite account which follows is based partly on observation