From Kate and Wills, to Kim and Kanye, to Barack and Michelle Obama, marriages are obvious in royalty, fame, and politics. It is the cultural end-game to almost every relationship in the Western world – but with attitudes among millennials changing, does marriage still carry the significance it once did?
Stripping back marriage to its pure purpose is relatively unromantic: it is a legally binding contract. Marrying for love is something which has only recently evolved over time, and historically, marriage was seen as the prime way to join families, build empires and secure financial stability. Any other reason to marry was merely an insignificant addition to the relationship as opposed to the vitality it plays today.
For instance, look at the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. The fact they were in love was irrelevant to their families because they knew what implications a contract between the two would cause – they were rival families. They viewed the marriage not as happiness to their children, but as a legal burden.
Nowadays, this view of marriage is archaic; it’s widely accepted that those who tie the knot marry (hopefully) for love. But just like the concept of marriage as a mere contract, the concept of marriage as the end-game is becoming out-dated.
Factors such as career motivations and expenses have resulted in a rapid decline of 10-20% from baby boomers and Generation Xers in marriages among millennials. An average wedding in the UK costs £30,000 – not only is this a massive amount of money, but a lot of couples are carrying around much higher expenses than previously, for instance, the weight of two student loans.
Additionally, the increasing rights of cohabitants mean that marriage is not really a necessity anymore in terms of financial stability. The relationship between cohabitants is now treated more seriously than traditionally, with current advocates trying to equate the relationship with that of a married one.
So will marriage stand the test of time? It is evident that marriage trends have changed throughout the centuries, and the above factors arguably render marriage an option rather than a requirement in today’s society.
Sources: https://www.bentley.edu/impact/articles/nowuknow-why-millennials-refuse-get-married)
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