The overall aim of the thesis project is to map norms and beliefs about love and marriage among the Swedish nobility during the period 1750 to 1900, to highlight the changes that took place, and to analyze how and why these changes occurred from an emotional-historical perspective. A common perception of marriages in historical times, especially among the nobility, is that these were primarily pragmatic arrangements, where greater emphasis was placed on finances and birth than on the individuals' feelings for each other. On the contrary, a study of diaries and letters from this time shows that love was discussed and desired by both men and women. The first part of my project aims, through a systematic review of these materials, which are both abundant and easily accessible since much is in print, to map how ideas about love and marriage looked and changed over time. The second part of the project is a comparative study of two correspondences between engaged couples from an emotional history perspective. The history of emotions is a new field of research where there is still a diversity of theories and methods, and the field has not yet been introduced to any great extent in Sweden. By analyzing the "language of love" in these letters based on emotional history theory, I intend to uncover aspects that can explain how and why changes took place.