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Choosing Love Over Tradition: Lived Experiences of Asian Indian Marriages

Personal choice marriages, commonly called love marriages, are a phenomenon that have historically been grounded in individualistic values and Western societies; thus, arranged marriages are still a common practice in non-Western countries such as India. The primary purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to better understand the shared lived experience of Indian couples in love marriages, both those in India and those who have emigrated abroad. Sixteen individuals were interviewed for this study in India (n = 10, representing five heterosexual couples) or the United States (n = 6, representing three heterosexual couples). Through thematic analysis, three themes were found to represent the primary lived experiences of couples residing in India and in the United States. Based upon these themes, specific implications for professional counselors are highlighted.