In these times, the woman did not work outside of the home. And since people did not marry until economically viable. Women had to give a share of her resources to the man. The woman's family usually provided her new family with a dowry. One aspect of the marriage that has not changed much over the centuries is economics.
People tend to marry only when they can economically afford to.
If a man could not provide for his wife, he would not marry her. He would wait until he had the resources to afford a family. In early times, marriages might not take place until a man's mid-life. This isn't as common now, but the principle is still evident. The average age at marriage has declined over the centuries.