Orthodox Jewish men and women Christian Dating usually meet through matchmakers in a process called a shidduch, for the purpose of marriage. When Jewish men and women come of marriageable age, their parents usually turn to a matchmaker to help them find an appropriate mate for their children. With the advice of the matchmaker and the consent of the parents the young man and woman meet on a date. If they like each other they continue dating over the course of a few weeks. The decision to marry is made by the couple themselves. Usually the groom is no more than 5 years older than the bride. Marriage age ranges from 17-25, with 18-22 considered the norm.
Relational dialectics regards relationships not as static entities, but as continuing processes, forever changing. This approach sees constant tension in the negotiation of three main issues: autonomy vs. connection, novelty vs. predictability, and openness vs. closedness.