Line #25 Main/WedlockBlock


1	->''"Never shall the younger be wed before the older ones!"''
2	-->-- So the '''WickedStepmother''' of Literature/VasilissaTheBeautiful decrees
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4	A couple or several couples are ready to get married, but they're not allowed to (probably because someone's [[ParentalMarriageVeto parents won't allow it]]) because someone else's nuptials (usually an older sister's) have to take place first. This can cause delightful complications if a lower-priority couple needs to AltarTheSpeed. SettleForSibling is often the result of this.
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6	Compare UnableToSupportAWife and DowryDilemma.
7	----
8	!!Examples:
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10	[[foldercontrol]]
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12	[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
13	* In "Literature/VasilissaTheBeautiful", the WickedStepmother justifies rejecting all of Vasilissa's suitors on the grounds that her stepsisters are older than she is.
14	* "Literature/PrinceLindworm" has the titular character demand to be wed ahead of his twin brother (with the rallying cry "a bride for me before a bride for you!"), as he is well aware that his monstrous form compared to his brother's has made him the ire of his family. He ''ensures'' that he is wed before the other prince by blocking the latter's routes to other kingdoms during his own search for a bridal candidate.
15	* In a number of fairytales that offer the StandardHeroReward (with the [[YoungestChildWins youngest sibling]] of three being the protagonist), the hero has to go on two quests to get a spouse for their older siblings before finally embarking on the third quest to get their own spouse. Thanks to RuleOfThree, the last quest ends up being the most dangerous. "Literature/MollyWhuppie" is one example.
16	[[/folder]]
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18	[[folder:Film]]
19	* One of ''Film/{{The Brady Bunch\|Movie}}'' movies has the parents reluctant to officially approve Jan's marriage plans because Marcia is single. Naturally this puts Marcia in an awkward position, as she explains to a random male stranger she meets shortly thereafter...and, naturally, this begins a relationship [[FourthDateMarriage and a double wedding soon ensues]].
20	* Cristabel, the "hottie" in ''Film/TheHottieAndTheNottie'', self-imposes this trope: She won't even think about having a relationship until her best friend, the [[TheGrotesque hideously ugly]] June Phigg, has a boyfriend.
21	* In the climax of ''Film/ThePirateMovie'', the female lead gets hit with this, so she starts randomly pairing her older sisters with the various pirates and police officers who had been fighting only minutes before.
22	* In ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'', the '90s SettingUpdate to ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'', a strict father will not allow his social butterfly of a younger daughter to date until his iconoclastic older daughter does.
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25	[[folder:Literature]]
26	* Found frequently throughout the works of Creator/JaneAusten. Though it is not required, it is considered highly improper if the daughters do not marry in order of their birth--the only time it's acceptable is if the older sister slips into the category of "OldMaid" around age twenty-three. Furthermore, it's considered unusual (as in ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'') to have the youngest daughter (of five) "out" (accepted as grown-up and eligible for marriage) before the eldest is married. In contrast, once Charlotte Lucas' engagement is announced, her sisters are delighted because now it looks like they'll be [[HaveAGayOldTime coming out]] maybe a year or so earlier than they expected.
27	* Features in ''Literature/LikeWaterForChocolate'': Tita is not allowed to marry because the youngest must look after her mother.
28	* A variation in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice''. This is a world where men are so rare that they marry every sister in a family, sisters who themselves are descended from several different women. After the disastrous marriage to [[BeautyIsBad Keifer]], the Queens tell their eldest surviving daughter, who is very much in love, that the princesses can only marry the boy if ''all'' of her living of-age sisters agree to marry him. Since one has been missing for months and another is [[DoesNotLikeMen too put off by Keifer to consider it]], Ren has a hard time of it.
29	* In ''Literature/ThornInMyHeart'', Logan initially opposes Jamie's desire to marry Logan's daughter Rose, asserting that Leona, as the elder sister, should be married first.
30	[[/folder]]
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32	[[folder:Manga And Anime]]
33	* ''Anime/RanmaOneHalf''': Shampoo's younger sisters try to force Ranma to uphold his AccidentalProposal to Shampoo, on grounds that they can't get married until Shampoo does (at least in the French dub).
34	[[/folder]]
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36	[[folder:Religion]]
37	* The UrExample is Jacob's story in Literature/TheBible, which plays with this trope in that while Jacob wants younger daughter Rachel, Laban wants to marry off older daughter Leah off first, [[BrideAndSwitch so he tricks Jacob into marrying both of them in succession]], [[ManipulativeBastard securing seven more years of Jacob's labor for Rachel]].
38	[[/folder]]
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40	[[folder:Theatre]]
41	* In ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'', Baptista will not give his younger daughter Bianca's hand in marriage before he finds a husband for Katherina, his shrewish older daughter.
42	* An ExaggeratedTrope in ''Theatre/OnceUponAMattress'', a law forbids '''anyone''' in the kingdom from marrying before Prince Dauntless does.
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45	[[folder:Western Animation]]
46	* In the [[WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers Bob's Burgers]] episode [[Recap/BobsBurgerS5E13TheGayleTales "The Gayle Tales"]], Tina writes a story in which four sisters (played by herself, Louise, Gayle, and a [[GenderBender gender-flipped Gene]]) cannot get married until the oldest, Gayle, does so. Unfortunately, Gayle is too shy and neurotic to get a man, to the chagrin of Tina, who wishes to marry Jimmy Jr.'s fantasy counterpart.
47	[[/folder]]
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49	[[folder:Real Life]]
50	* As a matter of basic thoughtfulness, if you and your fiancé/fiancée get engaged around the same time as close mutual friends or relatives, someone will almost certainly have to wait, unless they agree to go for a double wedding option. This is not only to avoid Claire and Dan upstaging AliceAndBob but also because of the expense the mutual friends and family would have regarding wedding gifts, bridesmaid dresses, etc.
51	[[/folder]]

Context Main / WedlockBlock