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You’re not the only one spending fewer summer weekends watching other people get married—but don’t worry, the weddings you’re still invited to might feel a little more special these days.
Fewer Americans are getting married, and the ones who still are have scaled back their weddings. Their nuptials are becoming smaller, though not necessarily cheaper, affairs.
Many couples are waiting longer and longer to schedule their weddings. In 2015, the median first-time American bride was almost 28 years old and the median groom almost 30, according to the most recent data available from the Census Bureau. (Ten years earlier, the typical bride was 25.5, the typical groom 27.)
The U.S. marriage rate—the number of new marriages per 1,000 people—has been falling for decades. It fell especially fast during the recession, in 2008 and 2009, but there’s little evidence that people started getting married again even as the economy recovered. And research firm IbisWorld predicts the marriage rate will keep falling over the next five years.
From a global perspective, that wouldn’t be a surprise. The U.S. marriage rate would need to fall by about a third to reach the marriage rates in other developed countries. The most recent data show a U.S. marriage rate of 6.9, compared with an average rate of 4.6 for countries in the European Union.
Are weaker economics the cause, or has marriage gone out of fashion?
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Monday July 31 2017, @01:53PM
No, those are how you get companionship as well. You meet them by doing things people do. You can meet them grocery shopping, walking, etc... Just don't assume they all are open to contact beyond a friendly hello. Watch for cues and listen to them. Go take dancing lessons, for example. You're not there to become a great dancer, you're there to socialize. Socializing may lead to dating, but don't assume it will. I keep saying not to assume, because that's the mindset. You're there to socialize, dating is a bonus and uncertain.
It's not something I've ever had issues with. Maybe you're being too earnest? Relax, maybe? If you put yourself out there, it may help. You could try just spending all your free time finding ways to be around people. You could join clubs, groups, and all sorts of stuff like that. In my experiences, conversation comes before dating. I don't do this with the goal of dating them, I do this with the goal of enabling them to be comfortable and happy. I dunno? It works for me.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."