A while ago, a large study came out which indicated, among other things, that having a big wedding was correlated with having a happier marriage with less chance of divorce. At Iona, we wondered at the time if it was splashing out that really made the difference, or was it the number of guests?
Well, now we have an answer. A new study finds that spending more money on your wedding ceremony, reception, and even engagement ring, is correlated with a greater chance of divorce.
The data scientist Randal Olson recently visualized some of the findings from a paper by Andrew Francis and Hugo Mialon, two researchers at Emory University who studied 3,000 married couples in the U.S. to determine the factors that predicted divorce. They analyzed income, religious attendance, how important attractiveness was to each partner, wedding attendance, and other metrics to determine the aspects associated with eventual marital dissolution.
Their findings offer some take-aways for couples who want to minimize their chances of divorce: You should date for three years before popping the question. Be wealthy, but don’t be a gold-digger. Have a huge wedding, but make sure it’s cheap. And whatever you do, don’t skip the honeymoon.
Again, the study confirms that regular churchgoers are far less likely to get divorced, while those who put a lot of importance on their partner’s wealth or looks are more likely to. And while having more people at your wedding reduces risk, spending more on it increases it.
Part of the study echoes what we already know about marriage: That it’s increasingly for rich people—who make a lot and can afford honeymoons.
Dating for a while before tying the knot might indicate a level of planning that suggests the couple is in it for the long haul. Similarly, a well-attended ceremony might be a proxy for a large family that pressures and/or supports the couple and helps them stay together.
A strong marriage, in other words, is an intentional one.
Food for thought!
