14 DAY TRIAL // Being still single or in a relationship but not married by the age of 25 was, for many women, an unconceivable thing until a few years ago. This has changed considerably, with more and more brides tying the knot only after they turn 30 – and have lived with their man.
Figures cited by the Daily Mail indicate that first-time brides are getting older with each year, which is completely understandable if one considers the reasons to get married in the past.
Simon Duncan, professor of comparative social policy at Bradford University, for instance, stresses that the three main reasons for marriage were: making love, living together and having children.
Since all these 3 are now not only socially acceptable outside marriage but also possible outside a long-term commitment, women see no reason to head down the aisle while they’re still in their 20s.
So, instead of doing that, they use the time to focus on their career and basically “live their life,” saving marriage for last and opting to show commitment by agreeing to cohabitation.
“The provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the average age of first-time brides reached 30 in the first quarter of last year and 30.1 in the second quarter. In 1966, the average in England and Wales was 22.5 and in 1991, it was 25.5,” the Mail reports.
While commitment is now shown by sharing the same house together, getting married has become a way of publicly affirming it, while also showing off social success.
“You no longer need marriage to prove that you are an adult, so there’s not the rush there used to be for young people,” Professor Duncan says.
“Now it’s socially acceptable to have these without having to spend £23,000 on a wedding. A couple can privately prove their commitment to one another by cohabiting,” Duncan further says.
“There are even perfectly happy long-term relationships where a couple stays together but lives apart. Marriage has become a way of publicly showing your commitment and social success,” the Professor explains.
According to psychoanalyst and author (“Too Young To Get Old”) Christine Webber, women have too many options to choose from to allow themselves to be limited by the rush to find a husband.
“Overall, when remarriages following divorce or death are taken into account, the average age of brides is 33.8 and, for bridegrooms, 36.5, according to the ONS figures,” the Mail says.