Good points. Since I'm 36 (my wife is only 24 -- woo hoo!), her father didn't really think the "permission" thing was appropriate. He did give me his "permission" to pursue her, and if I won her heart, he would give his blessing to our relationship.
The point is the same, though, as what you're saying. We didn't make decisions about our potential life together without including her parents "in the loop." I'm kind of old-fashioned, I guess, and think that children are under parental covering/responsibility/authority, until that covering is transferred as marriage commences. Hm. Probably didn't phrase that quite right.... :-)
Thanks. (Ditto the "woo-hoo"...I'm 34, the wife is 21.) Regarding parental covering, I was raised similarly. We both consulted with our parents and accepted their guidance during our courtship.