A traditional wedding is arranged by Ghotoks (matchmakers), who are generally friends or relatives of the couple, or sometimes just professional matchmakers. The Ghotoks facilitate the couple's introduction to the wedding guests, and are given special gifts called Ghotokbidae (lit., "bidding goodbye to the Ghotoks") if the alliance is agreed upon and the marriage is realized. Families traditionally seek their children's matches from the same caste, religion and social standing. In the case of an arranged marriage, if the aforementioned 'compatibility' factors are duly matched, only then is the pairing deemed a palti-ghor (an ideal match). Nowadays (as arranged marriages are not mandatory), couples often choose their life partners themselves after a period of courtship and understanding each other well, while still giving some consideration to the traditional 'compatibility' factors, however not strictly conforming to conventional notions of both partners being an "ideal match." In modern English parlance, such a non-Ghotok-arranged alliance is called a "love match" and is based more upon the preferences and wishes of the partners than strict traditional norms.
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