Older, wiser bride and groom

July 5, 9:23 AMRelationship ExaminerKristen Houghton

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There are advantages to marrying later. You are more confident in your choices and less likely to simply accept life as it comes. Education and being a part of the work-force gives you the ability to be a strong decision maker and create a life from a good solid foundation. You have had the opportunity to get to know who you are and what you want.

According to the joint studies statistics from the U.S. and Great Britain, the average age of first time brides and grooms is getting older. Today’s couples are choosing to marry later than couples did a decade ago. The average age range for a woman is twenty-eight to thirty -one and for a man twenty-nine to thirty-three.

The following are the main reasons for getting married older.

Advanced education.

Getting a college degree is no longer seen as the end of a man or woman’s formal education. Unlike generations past, where post grad education was something you did after marriage if at all, both men and women want to obtain post-graduate degrees or specialized certifications before settling down.

Financial security.

 People in their twenties and early thirties are making quite sure of their own financial future before committing to a legal relationship. They are seeking mates who are as financially solvent as they are and who can bring this type of security to the marriage table.

Finding out who you are and what you really want, one of which is ownership of property.

 Paying rent for an apartment is no longer desirable. Owning real estate, a co-op, townhouse, condo, or house is almost a necessity.

The travel bug.

Europe, South America, and World Tours, are big on their agenda. Part of a generation which grew up seeing the world on TV, they want to experience different cultures and traditions.

As far as starting a family, with advances in fertility available, couples who do want children can afford to marry later and let their biological clocks tick a bit longer. And afford seems to be the correct word here. An overwhelming majority of those interviewed in Great Britain said they wouldn’t have children unless they could afford to have them. Less than twenty years ago, most couples said they “would somehow cope” if they started a family before they were financially ready.

Marrying “older” may be a good decision.

© 2009 all rights reserved Kristen Houghton 

Do you put your own happiness on hold just to make other people happy? Learn how to put your life first in Kristen Houghton's new book  "And Then I'll Be Happy!"  due in stores 12/22/09 Pre-order it today. 

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