What does marriage mean to Chassidic Jews?
In Judaism it is a mitzvah to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). For most secular Jews, this means that they spend their time dating with the goal of falling in love. Once they have fallen in love with someone, marriage is the next step. However, in the Chassidic world, marriage is not seen in the same way. Marriage is not necessarily about love or happiness, it is more about the creation of a family and carrying on your name and your yichus (lineage). Dating back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, man and woman have always been together. Being together is our natural state. We are told by the Sages that "Prior to marriage, neither man nor woman is considered a complete entity. The marriage is the joining of the two halves into one complete wholesome being." Chassidic philosophy teaches that "Upon birth, each body contains a portion of one soul, and at marriage, the parts of the soul unite to become one"1. Essentially, at the wedding, the bride and groom are each being united into complete beings.
1. http://www.jewish-history.com/minhag.htm
1. http://www.jewish-history.com/minhag.htm