The recession has long been said to be the reason why fewer couples are getting married these days, even though there is a significant increase in couples living together before or rather than getting married. BBC News is now adding their own spin on why there is such a drop in people saying “I Do” and according to them, it’s because we’re too busy.
According to the BBC, the weddings people have in mind for themselves have become these elaborate, dream weddings some have thought of since they were young children and these weddings involve a lot of planning. From the lengthy list of deposits, booking the perfect venue sometimes years in advance, getting a photographer, a band, a florist, an officiator, making everyone in your family happy whether they want a hand in planning your day, putting them in a place where they will be happy in your wedding, or even trying to make everyone happy with who they’re sitting with at the reception. It’s a lot of footwork and yes, it can definitely get a little overwhelming. I think that last bit of my list there is where the problem for a lot of couples who are soon to be married starts. Rather than a wedding being what the bride and the groom plan for it be together, the our mindset when it comes to weddings has really turned into a game of how to make everyone happy when perhaps who you should be worrying about more are the people who are actually getting married.
While there are a lot of people who have these extravagant weddings in mind, we should also remember that these people do not make up the entire population. There are quite a lot of people who have dreamed of very small, intimate gatherings and it isn’t because of a lack of money or the headaches that could stem from planning a bigger affair, it’s because that is what they truly want. So then we have to ask ourselves, what’s the real reason why so many people are either holding off on getting married or do not wish to get married in the first place? Is it money, our hectic lives and schedules, or are there just more people now than ever before who simply don’t want to get married?
The cost of weddings has become huge, and the family pressure to include certain people and traditions contributes to the cost. In addition though, the cost of purchasing your first home has skyrocketed, and I think people are focussing on trying to achieve the great Australian Dream of owning a home. This usually means putting the dream wedding on hold.
I also think that people are older now when they are getting married so maybe a little more sensible about the opportunity cost of a large wedding. I also think that the tradition of parents of the bride paying for much of the wedding is diminishing…….so often if you plan to get married, you are paying for yourself.