Sentence:  The family of the groom makes sure the new couple has a house to live in and land to cultivate; they will also pay for the <WSD>dowry</WSD> (crucial, for without <WSD>dowry</WSD> the new father has no rights over his children; Trouwborst 1962: 136ff.) 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Payment by the groom or his family to the bride's family: bride price.