Planning a Fancy Wedding? A New Study Says You Should Go Low Key Instead
Having a big, fancy wedding is the dream of many girls and boys in this country, and the $51 billion wedding industry’s recent spike in business thanks to the DOMA repeal only proves that point further. For many, the wedding ceremony isn’t just a day to celebrate love -- It’s also a chance to prove to friends and family just how seemingly happy, affluent, and fashionable you are. All it takes is a trip over to Netflix to become truly horrified over the spectacle that is the American obsession with having the “perfect” wedding.
It almost seems like a form of poetic retribution, then, that the people who obsess tirelessly over every trivial wedding detail in a show of self-aggrandizement are the ones most likely to spend the rest of their days in an unhappy marriage.
A study by two economics professors at Emory College found that couples who spend less money on their weddings tend to have longer-lasting marriages than those who splurge. A similar correlation was found between the amount of money spent on an engagement ring and divorce rates. Couples who spent more than $20,000 on their big day were found to be 1.6 times more likely to get divorced than those who spent between $5,000 and $10,000 on their wedding, while couples who spent less than $1,000 were found to have lower than average divorce rates.
The study’s authors didn’t delve deeply into why money spent was inversely correlated to marital bliss, but they did share a few theories with CNN: "It could be that the type of couples who have a ... [cheap wedding] are the type that are a perfect match for each other," said study co-author Hugo M. Mialon. "Or it could be that having an inexpensive wedding relieves young couples of financial burdens that may strain their marriage."
What else can you do to ensure your marriage lasts as long as those forever diamonds? Invite everyone you know and their mom to celebrate your special day, and be sure to honeymoon even if it’s for a day. The study discovered another correlation between bigger weddings and the inclusion of honeymoons (no matter their cost) and marriage longevity.
So if you’re stressed out planning your nuptials, you may as well chill, have a Bud Light, invite a bunch of buddies and an ordained minister over for some barbeque and call it a day -- You’ll be the one snuggling up with your life partner for Netflix binge-watching Bridalplasty while everyone else is left wondering where they went wrong.
[Pic via Flickr - 古 天熱]
