"participate in a marriage contract"

I find this phrase very telling... mainly because it relates to the legal requirements and obligations of the involved parties... that have been further "refined" with pre-nuptual agreements...

in the not so long ago past, it was not just religious bans that needed to be read, but the parents/guardians arranged said marriage and for aristicracy, royal approval may have also been required.

Marriage for "love", while not unheard of, was socially disruptive to the "normal course of behavior"...

the US Supreme Court decision is merely one step towards providing equal treatment under the law... no more no less...