Study Shows that the More You Spent on your Wedding, the More Likely you are to Divorce

According to a study by two economics professors at Emory University, how much money a couple spends on their wedding is positively correlated with the likelihood of the marriage ending in divorce. In the study, the professors interviewed 3,000 heterosexual couples, some of whom were married at the time of the study and some of whom were divorced.

If you spent a lot of money on your wedding, do not fret that the marriage is doomed to fail. There are a lot of factors that can increase or decrease a couple’s likelihood of divorce and remember, these statistics are just that: statistics. They do not tell your personal story.

Wedding Cost and Divorce Correlation Figures

On average, an American couple spends about $30,000 on their wedding. This figure can fluctuate widely, with some weddings costing less than $1,000 and others racking up six-figure bills.

According to the study, couples who spent more than $20,000 on their weddings were 1.6 times more likely to divorce than couples who spent less. Couples who spent less than $1,000 on their weddings were the least likely of all to divorce.

The cost of the ceremony itself was not the only financial figure that impacted the sample couples’ likelihood of divorcing. Expensive engagement rings were also correlated with higher divorce rates. Men who spent between $2,000 and $4,000 on engagement rings were 1.3 times more likely to divorce than men who spent less than $2,000 on engagement rings for their partners. When a woman’s engagement ring cost more than $20,000, her marriage was 3.5 times more likely to fail than a woman’s whose ring cost less.

There was only one wedding-related spending decision found to reduce a couple’s likelihood of divorce: taking a honeymoon.

Other Factors that Impact a Couple’s Likelihood of Divorce

There are many other factors that can raise or reduce a couple’s likelihood of divorcing, like the partners’ careers and how old they were when they married. Second and subsequent marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages.

The only other wedding-specific factor correlated with a greater divorce rate discussed in the Emory University study was the importance the couple put on physical attractiveness. Individuals who reported that their partners’ physical attractiveness was an important factor in deciding whether to marry them were more likely to divorce than individuals who reported that physical attractiveness was not an important factor.

Work with an Experienced Orlando Divorce Lawyer

Any marriage can end in divorce when it reaches the point where the couple cannot work out their conflicts. If you have reached this point in your marriage, consider whether divorce is the right option for you. For more information about the divorce process and insight to what it entails, speak with an experienced Orlando divorce lawyer. Contact the Law Offices of Steve W. Marsee, P.A. today to set up your initial consultation in our office.

Resources:

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meet-catch-and-keep/201606/these-are-the-best-and-worst-ages-get-married

businessinsider.com/study-couples-who-spend-more-on-weddings-more-likely-to-get-divorced-2018-7?amp%3Butm_medium=referral