The formation of an Ibanag family begins with marriage, which can be done through parental arrangement or courtship. Child marriage was practiced by parents on both sides, but it was abandoned in the 1920s. Courtship is a popular alternative among the educated, and when parental disapproval occurs, couples resort to eloping.

Marriage marks the end of courtship and is intertwined with adulthood. The Ibanag's high regard for marriage institutions is manifested in their meticulous traditional rituals for the different stages leading to a wedding. The hagitolay (young man) must first go through several stages to secure the permission of the girl's parents, accompanied by his parents and a gumakagi (spokesperson). The marriage process starts with dalibasa (information), where a gumakagi is chosen by the hagitolay's family and sent to the girl's house to inform her parents about the love of the young man for their daughter.

The mangidulo maptritindi involves the man's parents and spokesperson performing mabersu or talking in verse impromptu, with refreshments served by the young man's family. The manubag follows, where a whole entourage of the man's relatives visits the woman's house to get the final decision. A week after the manubag, the parents gather for the mamakurung to discuss wedding preparations, with the dote (bridewealth) expected for all grooms.

The massulisitud or acquiring a marriage license, follows, followed by the mappasingan, where the priest advises the couple on Christian teachings on marriage. The wedding festivities are 3 days long, with the first being called the pasingan and the last being the aggud.

During a wedding ceremony, several rituals are observed, including the pamottagan, a ritual of exchanging coins between families, and the pagunekkan, where parents give coins to their children before going to the bride's house. The couple's first destination is the altar, where they offer prayers to their dead relatives. They then proceed to the ballang, where their first dance is performed. After lunch, the mappagala ceremony involves two large handkerchiefs for money that relatives present to the couple. The groom's relatives deposit their gifts on the handkerchief near the bride, while the bride's relatives deposit their gifts on the one near the groom. Throughout the ceremony, a wedding dance called maskota is performed by any of the couple's relatives.

Marriage rules are strictly followed, with marriage between relatives down to the third degree of consanguinity being forbidden. The married couple should stay with the bride's family, and the older sister must wait for the younger sisters to marry before she does. Separation is allowed on grounds of infidelity, maltreatment of the wife, negligence of duties and obligations, and barrenness, which only applies to women. The separation is done before the barrio dakal (big man) who performed the marriage ceremony.