| Many people think that the mail order bride system all | | | | itself from the 'mail order bride' label). |
| began with the Internet and the online dating | | | | Today, you could be forgiven for confusing mail |
| websites. Not quite! In fact, this increasingly common | | | | order bride websites with online dating sites, such as |
| way of finding a soul mate goes much further back. | | | | Filipina Heart, or These two types of matchmaking |
| Let's start by saying that actually; the term 'mail | | | | website do have a lot of similarities of course, but |
| order bride' is a rather controversial one today, | | | | they differ in one important aspect: the women on |
| because it portrays women as commodities being | | | | the mail order bride sites are looking for marriage and |
| bought and sold. In reality, nothing could be further | | | | a lasting relationship, while the women on online |
| from the truth, and the vast majority of mail order | | | | dating sites are typically looking for all kinds of |
| bride businesses are nothing more than marriage | | | | relationship, from casual to serious. |
| agencies. The women post their profiles and say | | | | Every woman will have her own particular reasons |
| what kind of husband they are looking for, and male | | | | for wanting to marry abroad. However, some critics |
| clients pay the agencies to get in touch with the | | | | of the mail order bride business insist that many |
| women they like. That's all there is to it. | | | | women are 'forced' into this by the difficult economic |
| Having said that, we are very much aware that there | | | | situation in their own countries. At the same time, |
| actually is a huge problem with trafficking of women, | | | | men who use mail order bride websites need to be |
| both online and off. For this reason, we strongly | | | | on the lookout for potential scammers posing as |
| recommend that you always use well known and | | | | legitimate women seeking a husband. |
| reputable mail order bride sites to be sure. | | | | US IMBRA law aims to help keep women safe |
| The origin of mail order brides | | | | Overseas relationships pose a different kind of risk |
| Way back in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the | | | | from the ones people are normally accustomed to. |
| western United States were still being settled, the | | | | Men risk being scammed out of their money or |
| male settlers were having a hard time finding a bride | | | | having their ego hurt, while in the case of women |
| and began to correspond with women living far | | | | meeting up with and deciding to marry a foreign man |
| away. At the same time, many European women and | | | | can be a much more dangerous affair. In order to try |
| some American women as well decided to travel | | | | and make things safer for foreign women marrying |
| west, hoping to find a new life and the man of their | | | | Americans, the United States passed the International |
| dreams. Smart entrepreneurs soon saw the business | | | | Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) in 2005. |
| potential in this and the mail order bride system was | | | | IMBRA was designed to make these international |
| born, allowing women to announce their desire to get | | | | relationships more transparent and provide women |
| married and look for a husband that way. | | | | with access to more information about the men they |
| Mail order brides became popular once again at the | | | | are dating. |
| end of World War II, when American soldiers started | | | | The IMBRA law states that online dating agencies |
| corresponding with women back home that they had | | | | and mail order bride websites based in the US have |
| never met before. The trend grew and by the 80's | | | | to ask their male clients for background information, |
| international dating and marriage agencies, such as | | | | including criminal records, divorces etc., and make this |
| Cherry Blossoms, became an increasingly popular way | | | | information available to the women these men |
| to find a bride. Of course, the Internet was still a long | | | | correspond with. If you are a US citizen, you will also |
| way off at that time, and the mail order bride | | | | have to be able to show that your bride has been |
| system was run by means of catalogues and plain old | | | | given all this information about you right from the |
| snail mail, which made the whole business of finding a | | | | start of your relationship. Failing to do so will mean |
| foreign bride much slower than it is today. | | | | that you will probably be denied an immigration visa |
| The first mail order brides in the 1980s were Asian | | | | for your future wife when you apply for it. This is |
| brides, mainly from Thailand and the Philippines. This | | | | why you have to make sure you are using an IMBRA |
| gave rise to the mistaken association of the mail | | | | compliant online dating agency at all times. |
| order bride system with western men shopping for | | | | A lot of the online dating agencies were very wary |
| Asian women. Since the fall of the communist Soviet | | | | of the IMBRA law at first, and thought it would |
| Union, more and more Eastern European women | | | | damage their business, but this has not been the |
| have become mail order brides, particularly Russian | | | | case. In actual fact, IMBRA also indirectly makes |
| brides, Ukrainian brides and Moldovan brides. In recent | | | | online dating safer for men too, because it deters |
| years, there have also been a big number of Latin | | | | scammers who would rather not have to go through |
| brides from Central and South America who are also | | | | a longer process to contact the victims they plan to |
| looking for a foreign husband this way. | | | | scam. |
| Nowadays, it is not just the less well off countries | | | | We think that IMBRA is a great idea and are very |
| that mail order brides are coming from, and a | | | | much in favor of this law, because, after all, women |
| considerable number of women from developed | | | | have a right to know as much as possible about the |
| nations such as Japan, Sweden and Canada, are also | | | | man they plan to marry and live with far away from |
| joining in the quest for foreign love. | | | | home. Marriage agencies are in the business of helping |
| Mail order brides are today more popular than ever | | | | create happy couples and IMBRA goes a long way |
| The Internet has changed so many aspects of | | | | towards that goal. |
| modern life, and the international marriage and dating | | | | In today's world of high speed online communication, |
| scene is no exception. Today it is easier than ever | | | | it is more common than ever to date and marry |
| for men and women from all over the world to get | | | | foreign women. Cultural diversity is increasingly |
| in contact and look for love. The online opportunities | | | | becoming the norm, rather than the exception, and |
| range from the usual social networks, to online dating | | | | more and more people are looking for love in |
| sites like FriendFinder.com, and | | | | faraway countries. While you do need to be careful |
| The online age has seen a huge boom in the mail | | | | about whom you befriend when using mail order |
| order bride business, and while Cherry Blossoms still | | | | bride services, this system is giving thousands upon |
| remains one of the largest online dating sites, many | | | | thousands of couples the opportunity to meet up |
| other popular ones have also sprung up, such as | | | | and find love in places that they never before |
| Elena's models and (which is in fact now distancing | | | | thought possible. |