There is a huge difference between a bride price and a dowry.

A bride price is the price a groom pays to the family of his bride to compensate that family for their financial loss from losing their daughter's labor.

A dowry is the price paid by the family of the bride to assure that their daughter will have the financial stability she will need in her marriage. In western cultures the dowry would be managed by the husband but remained the property of the wife, and would be returned to her in case of annullment, divorce, or widowhood.

In other words, the two systems are essentially opposites. The only thing they have in common is the exchange of money or property in conjunction with a marriage.




Baldur