Most girls envision themselves getting married to their Prince Charming and living happily ever after.
They plan the perfect wedding, think of the perfect dress, the perfect location and, most importantly, the happiness that comes with spending the rest of their life with the one that they love.
There are many television shows such as “Say Yes to the Dress,” “Bridezillas” and “Four Weddings” that are entirely centered on marriage, the intense wedding process and, of course, the happy ending.
However, according to the Population Reference Bureau, the marriage rates for adults in the U.S. aged 25-34 dropped from just over 55 percent in 2000 to just under 45 percent in 2009.
Also, the percentage of people who never married jumped from 34 percent to 46 percent.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of marriage dropped from 10.0 per 1,000 in 1990 to 5.4 per 1,000 in 2009 in Arizona. That is almost a 50 percent decrease.
Instead of getting married, more and more couples are now cohabitating, or living with their significant other.
Most couples cohabitate in order to “test drive” the relationship to see if they are ready for marriage, save on expenses, avoid divorce or simply because they feel no need to marry since they already live together.
The increasing trend in cohabitation has also been linked to education levels.
Couples who graduate college are more likely to get married than those with a high-school education.
Since American customs are less rigid than they were hundreds of years ago, cohabitation, while conflicting with most religious values, has been deemed socially acceptable.
In the ‘60s, 80 percent of couples aged 25-34 were married. In the ‘70s, these numbers began to drop and cohabitation started to rise.
While cohabitation may seem like a foolproof plan, what’s the point? There is no imperative need to test drive one’s relationship. A relationship is not a car.
If you feel comfortable enough to live with your significant other, act as a married couple and potentially start a family, why not just get married?
Yes, not all marriages have a fairytale ending, but then again, neither do all relationships.
Some marriages end in divorce and some relationships result in a messy break-up. When a cohabitating couple ends their relationship, it is not considered a divorce. However, the concept is exactly the same.
In fact, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, most marriages tend to last longer than cohabiting unions.
Marriage is a wonderful, romantic union between two individuals who love each other. In fact, to most it considered a huge accomplishment along with graduating from college and purchasing a home.
As a result this act carries much more weight than simply setting up shop with your significant other. Society’s attitude toward both reflects this.
Nobody throws a ceremony and reception when they simply move in together.
While there is no direct pressure to get married as soon as possible, hopefully with time the rate of marriage will increase and the rate of cohabitation will decrease.
Pick out a wedding dress with Arselia at agales@asu.edu
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