During that time period when travel was difficult for most people, the location of where a marriage took place matters–not just because it is where the record of that marriage would have been recorded (if records were kept).
That place matters because, again during that time when most travel was on foot, the place of marriage was often near where the couple met or where the bride was from (sometimes both). While it was not always the case and there are always exceptions, if you know the place of marriage for a couple in 1820 in Kentucky, chances are there are relatives of the bride, groom, or both nearby.
There is still a chance in 1920, but the probability is not as great as it was in 1820.
Of course there are exceptions. But when I discovered my elusive ancestors’ 1870 marriage in an Iowa county, they both had relatives in the immediate area. That marriage place is a place to start.
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