Peter Gay touches on the topic of marriage in his intellectual history of the Enlightenment. He mentions that the grounds for marriage were beginning to transition in the 18th century from interests in family connections and property to love. But as this was the age of reason, it was expected to be “an intellective, natural, sensible, and rational love.” This can be seen in the passage of the Marriage Act of 1753 in England. Couples could no longer exchange private vows, but instead had to be married in a church after completing a process that caused at least a short delay before the ceremony. This was meant to encourage “a sedate and fixed love and not a sudden flash of passion which dazzles the understanding.”

One of the forms of marriage this act was meant to stop was called Fleet Marriage. The church had always encouraged its involvement in the formation of marriages just as many people had tried to avoid this. Marriage in Fleet Prison, a debtor's prison in London, was a popular option because it was cheap and avoided the notice of parents, the church, or the authorities. It had turned that part of London into a Las Vegas-like haven for quickie marriages. This did not fit the ideal of a rational marriage.