The agreement between the families was tightened with expensive presents such as golden ring, colorful shawl and other jewelries.  This ceremony was known as giving a “Loan”. Nowadays, this expression is used by real estate agency agents while trading with houses :)
After admiring with the bride’s height and other advantages, the relationships are entering to another stage, which “scientifically” is called “engagement”.  The “Word taking” and “Engagement” ceremonies were generalized in the poor families, in order to spent the money only one time. Early in the morning the groom’s father was sending tasty food to the bride’s house including sweets, alcohol, BBQ, and was inviting his own relatives to his house.

The Priest and the musicians were also there. Then taking the salvers, silver ring, sometimes even together with the groom they were going to the bride’s house for engagement. They were drinking different toasts for the familiy, for health and so on. For the young couple they were wishing long life together and lots of children. The priest was telling the couple to be loyal and decent.
The groom was putting the ring on the bride’s finger, and if he was very shy, then that responsible job was doing the groom’s mother. In those Armenian regions, where the religion and faith didn’t have a big role, there was no need for the priest.  E. g. during the engagement ceremony in the Syuniq region, the table wasn’t blessed, as people were thinking “that the honest word was more important that the blessing of the black dressed one”. After successfully completing the engagement ceremony, the parties were starting to help each other: washing the carpet together, exchanging presents and so on.
 Engagement in our days

New traditions started to be formed in the Armenia from the 60ies of 20th century. The organizer of the wedding is already the couple. Now they are getting acquainted without any difficulties-putting aside the moral understandings and criteria of ancestors. Only in case of parents’ disagreement, they are applying the traditional methods – they are running away!