Betrothal was it a rich custom?

Question

i have always been taught that this was a rich fam custom since they could afford the the bride price am i wrong ?

Answer 1

Betothal is the formal state of being engaged. Anyone can be or could be betrothed.

Could you have this confused with the dowry?

A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the bride's family to that of the groom at the time of their marriage. It has been regarded as contribution of her family to the married household's expenses.

In societies where payment of dowry is common, unmarried women are seen to attract stigma and tarnish the family reputation, so it is in the bride's family's interest to marry off their daughter as soon as she is eligible. In some areas where this is practiced, the size of the necessary dowry is directly proportional to the groom's social status, thus making it virtually impossible for lower class women to marry into upper class families. In some cases where a woman's family is too poor to afford any dowry whatsoever, she is either forbidden from ever marrying, or at most becomes a concubine to a richer man who can afford to support a large household. Dowries have been part of civil law in almost all countries

Answer 2

Depends on the Society, Culture , Family wealth etc. etc..
It may or may not mean anything ..