

This period of courtship is sometimes seen as a precursor to engagement or marriage.
'You need someone generous,' she said, my husband's name unspoken between us, 'with a bank account, not a piggy bank'.
And so, just before Christmas, I meet Mairead Molloy.
Our writers explore and prepare you for the thoughts and feelings we all experience on our dating journey to keep things fun and interesting.
Check out some of our favourites: Online dating advice: Kate Taylor - Seven Steps To The Perfect First Email Mind, body and soul: Lara Loveless - 5 Ways To Improve Your Dating Success Without Actually Dating Insights into the dating world: Laura Yates - Eliminating Game Playing In Dating Exciting and interesting date ideas: Seb Goshawk - Our Top Free Dating Ideas In London Keep up to date with all the latest articles over at the Match dating blog and make sure you’re as ready to start meeting new people!
Dating as an institution is a relatively recent phenomenon which has mainly emerged in the last few centuries.
From the standpoint of anthropology and sociology, dating is linked with other institutions such as marriage and the family which have also been changing rapidly and which have been subject to many forces, including advances in technology and medicine.
With the use of modern technology, people can date via telephone or computer or meet in person.
This term may also refer to two or more people who have already decided they share romantic or sexual feelings toward each other.
Dating is a stage of romantic or sexual relationships in humans whereby two or more people meet socially, possibly as friends or with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a prospective partner in a more committed intimate relationship or marriage.
It can be a form of courtship that consists of social activities done by the couple.