All the good of marriage was fulfilled in the parents of Christ

From the time of Mary and Joseph's betrothal, the Blessed Virgin was entrusted to St. Joseph, her most chaste husband. This union was celebrated according to the custom of ancient times: the future spouses joined hands; the fiancé placed a ring on his fiancée's finger, and the pontiff's blessing gave the spiritual seal to the mutual promise to live together for eternity. 

Some time later, the wedding of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph took place in Jerusalem; the celebrations lasted seven days, after which the holy couple returned to Nazareth. Since the 16th century, the Catholic Church has traditionally celebrated this holy engagement (a model for all engaged couples) on January 23:

“All the good of marriage is fulfilled in the parents of Christ: a child, fidelity, and the sacrament. The child is seen in the Lord Jesus; the fidelity in that there was no adultery; the sacrament in that there was no separation. Only one thing is absent: carnal union” (Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo - Father and Doctor of the Church).

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