According to a new study, couples who spend a lot of money on their wedding are more likely to divorce than couples who save money.
The findings were revealed in a study conducted by the Marriage Foundation, a pro-marriage think tank.
According to the findings, couples who spend a lot of money on their wedding day or invite-only a few friends and family are more likely to divorce, as 10% of marriages that started with a wedding costing more than £20,000 broke down within three years – twice the overall divorce rate of 5% during that time.
The researchers discovered that 34% of couples who had ten or fewer guests at their wedding divorced within ten years — almost double the overall rate of the sample.
They also discovered that couples who invited a large number of people to their wedding were less likely to divorce than couples who invited a small number of people, implying that the key to a long marriage is to have a low-cost wedding with a large number of guests.
According to the experts, having more visitors in a marriage is beneficial since it affirms the decision to devote to one person and eliminates all other options.
‘The evidence mirrors earlier studies from the US demonstrating that lavish weddings can be harmful to marriages because of the risk of debt,’ said Harry Benson, the research director.
‘Taken together, these findings send a strong message that marriage doesn’t have to be expensive and that couples should spend as much time as possible with their friends and family on their big day.’
According to the researchers, the survey comprised 2,000 persons.
Sara Davison, a ‘divorce coach’ who helps couples deal with breakups, explained:
‘With some weddings, the wedding becomes more important than anything else.’
‘So the wedding day, the huge dress, the lovely country manor house can all overshadow the genuine reason for getting married.’
‘Then, after the wedding, you’re sitting at the dinner table, looking across the table at the person you’ve married, thinking, “Well, the wedding day was wonderful, but this isn’t really lining up.”‘
