If you liked it then you shoulda put a moderately priced ring on it, research says.
A group of economics professors from Emory University in the US have surveyed 3000 married/previously married adults to investigate the link between wedding spending and marriage duration.
Turns out money CAN’T buy you love. Too right, The Beatles.
According to the research, couples who spent large sums of money on engagement rings and/or their weddings were more likely to wind up divorced.
In fact, men who spent between $2,000 and $4,000 on engagement rings were 1.3 times more likely to end up divorced than men who spent $500 to $2000. Funnily enough, women who received expensive engagement rings also experienced higher rates of divorce.
Women whose weddings cost $20,000 or more were 3.5 times for likely to get divorced than women who spent between $5,000 to $10,000.
Interestingly, spending less than $1,000 on a the wedding decreased the chances of divorce, but spending less than $500 on an engagement ring had the opposite effect.
Apparently, more expensive rings and weddings equals more stressed brides and grooms equals more divorced men and women.
At least that’s the theory, according to the authors of the report.
So, where does the pressure to spend big come from?
According to the report, it could be the ad campaigns, magazines and inflated costs of the wedding industry.
“In 1959, Bride’s recommended that couples set aside two months to prepare for their wedding and published a checklist with 22 tasks for them to complete. By the 1990s, the magazine recommended 12 months of wedding preparation and published a checklist with 44 tasks to complete.”
Eesh!
Getting married sure sounds like a lot of work, but DON’T FREAK OUT JUST YET.
The researchers also found that having more guests at your wedding led to longer marriages, as did honeymoons – even cheap ones.
Top Comments
I can't help but think that divorces are expensive, with many people choosing to stay married because they simply can't afford to live otherwise.
Whilst I know many people choose to have a less expensive engagement ring and wedding due to their financial priorities I can't help but think that many people who don't have the financial freedom to make that choice are more likely to be in the position where they aren't in the position to choose to separate either.
I think less money spent = happier couples is a far too simple way to took at things.
My engagement ring is not an expensive one (think we would push to get to $500!). Our wedding and reception were not either. Friends carried out tasks in lieu of a gift. My best friend was the celebrant' a friend did the cake and another the flowers. Dresses were bought off the rack and my wedding dress came ftom ebay. Im not judging those who do spend lots -each to their own- but I'm so happy we could start our marriage based on love and not how much was spent.