Top 7 Reasons Why Couples No Longer Marry Young

It used to be a generation or two ago that people got married much younger then they do now. However, over the past 60+ years, the number of people getting married, and the number of people staying married has shrunk. In addition, the amount of people marrying young has also decreased. So why is this happening? Below are some of the top 7 reasons why couples no longer marry young.

1. Terrible Economy

The economy is more terrible then it has been in a very long time, meaning that young adults have significantly less opportunity then their parents or grandparents. There is less financial wiggle room, created in part by soaring student loan debts and wages that are not as high as they were a generation ago. In addition, young adults now report having significantly less time at this age then their parents. For many, marriage is seen as a luxury for the rich, and something that can be waited on until the couple is more financially solvent.

2. Why Marry When Living Together Is Fine?

There used to be a social stigma behind people living together outside of marriage. Though still apparent in some parts of the United States, it is nothing as severe as it used to be. The result of this change is that couples are feeling less of a need to marry, because living together is not looked down upon. For this reason, couples will wait years before tying the knot because there is no urgency placed behind it.

3. The Hassle of Planning a Wedding

Planning a wedding takes a considerable amount of time. In addition, weddings have only gotten more expensive over the years. Now several times more expensive then a generation ago, many young couples struggle with raising the money for a wedding. In addition, there are so many different things to plan, that some people do not feel like it is worth the effort at this point in their lives. As a final thing to consider, there are people who want to be married but who do not

want a wedding. Though a wedding may eventually take place, it is easier now to put it off instead of the traditional pressure to get it out of the way.

4. Past Generation Did Not Set A Good Impression

Have you looked at the marriage and divorce rates over the past 50 years? It does not paint a pretty picture. Many young adults grew up in homes where marriage was the ‘right’ choice, and unhappiness and misery reigned. Now this is not every person, but enough young adults have experienced all of the bad things associated with marriage while growing up, and are not keen to repeat the experience for themselves. As a result, they wait until later in life, wen they are more secure about themselves and the prospect of marriage before tying the knot.

5. Fear Of Growing Up

Marriage can be seen as a right of passage when growing up. There is School, graduation, and then marriage. After marriage, it is implied that you are now an adult. There is a fear associated with that title, and it includes the idea that the best years of our lives are behind us. Whether this is true or not is up to each of us, but the fear is still out there, causing people to delay their weddings.

6. Staying Not Married Is Seen As A Better Way to Test the Relationship

Many consider marriage a finality. Once you are married, everything is final. This will be the only person you ever have a relationship with again. While this may be a good way to test a relationship, many young adults want to try out what marriage might be like well before things are final. Though divorce rates are high in the previous generation, many young people still take marriage seriously, and will not enter into it unless they are sure. As a result, the couple lives together before being married, to see what works and does not work. Though the couple may split up, there is also the freedom to leave, which more often then not helps people work out their differences instead of silently stewing.

7. Good Alternatives to Marriage

There are civil unions and domestic partnerships out there, which for many have taken the place of marriage. Though they are not equal to

marriage in many states, they offer benefits that are attractive to people living together. In addition, as Gay Marriage continues to be a popular issue among young adults, some have denied themselves marriage until their friends have the same opportunities. Regardless of the reasoning, simply having other options out there affords many young adults with other options that will appear more attractive.

About the Author

Erica P. is an experienced writer covering wedding topics across the country. Based in New Jersey, she has frequented Nanina’s in the Park and the Park Savoy, and has gone into writing about weddings in part because of her experiences there. In the end, she believes that every person should have their fantasy wedding.