Marriage in the Amish community is seen as a passage into adulthood. Outsiders, non-Amish, or English, as they call the rest of the world, are not permitted to marry within the Amish community.

Do Amish pick their spouse?

The Amish are a close-knit community, so members of a group know each other from childhood. Unmarried Amish choose their own husbands/wives, and the woman is very much involved in the process. Courtship often begins with a young man transporting a young woman to and from one of the many singings or Sunday worship.

Can Amish use birth control?

The Amish are exempted from social security and reject health insurance coverage, do not practice birth control, and often veto preventive practices such as immunization and prenatal care.