Couple who spend on lavish weddings are likely to divorce–research
Fancy weddings are in vogue and can be a costly endeavour but research says the less expensive the wedding, the more likely the marriage is to last.
It is in contrast with the dreams of the prospective couple, bridal magazines and the industry message that associates wedding expenditures with longer-lasting marriages, that has never been statistically evaluated.
The study estimated the relationship between wedding spending (including spending on engagement rings and wedding ceremonies), and the duration of marriages.
Overall, the researcher found little evidence that expensive weddings and the duration of marriages are positively related.
On the contrary, evidence suggests that relatively high spending on the engagement ring is inversely associated with marriage duration among male.
To reach that conclusion, economics professors, professors Andrew Francis-Tan and Hugo M Mialon , surveyed 3,000 married people in the United States and found certain trends increase the likelihood of divorce.
According to the study, the amount that couples spend on an engagement ring and the ceremony are inversely associated with marriage duration – as is the importance placed on looks.
“We find little evidence that expensive weddings and the duration of marriages are positively related. On the contrary, in multivariate analysis, we find evidence that relatively high spending on the engagement ring is inversely associated with marriage duration among male respondents,” the research says.
With engagement rings, the researchers found that the more money spent, the more likely it was to divorce – especially once the cost of the ring reaches more than $2,000 (GH₵ 11,400).
“Specifically, in the sample of men, spending between $2,000, $3,000 (GH₵ 17,100 and $4,000 (GH₵ 22,800), on an engagement ring, is associated with 1.3 times greater hazard of divorce as compared to spending between $500 (GH₵ 2,850) and $2,000 (GH₵, 11,400)” the study reads.
The same is true for the price of the ceremony – with weddings that cost less than $1,000 (GH₵ 5,700) showing a significant decrease in the likelihood of divorce and weddings costing more than $20,000 (GH₵ 114,000) increasing the likelihood by 1.6 times in the sample of women.
The professors also found that one other characteristic impacts divorce risk – how important one another’s looks were in the decision to marry.
“In the sample of all persons, greater differences in age and education between husband and wife and reporting that one’s partner’s looks were important in the decision to marry are both significantly associated with a higher hazard of divorce.
“On the other hand, relatively high household income, regularly attending
religious services, having a child with one’s partner, relatively high wedding attendance, and going on a honeymoon are all significantly associated with a lower hazard of divorce.
According to the study, the evidence suggests that the types of weddings associated with a lower likelihood of divorce are those that are relatively inexpensive but are high in attendance.
