Lincoln's marriage to Mary was not, overall, a hurried affair. He had openly courted and proposed to her in 1840. A couple of months later he lost his nerve and broke it off. A little over a year later, they reunited and renewed their relationship without much fanfare. Though they gave their friends and relatives little notice of their wedding, they had first come together almost two years earlier.

I am not sure what Mary's father thought of him. She was introduced to Lincoln through her sister and brother-in-law, who apparently approved of the match. Her brother-in-law (Ninian Edwards) disliked Lincoln's rough mannerisms, but realized Lincoln's potential and success in politics. So, Mary certainly had some family approval.