Every now and then, folks like to pick a specific age and declare it as “the perfect age for marriage.” It’s not really based on science, more like what society expects. A few years back, our editor noticed most couples they knew were getting hitched somewhere between 25 and 30. But as time passed, things changed. Now, younger folks, still in college or just starting out in their careers, are saying “I do.” When did this shift happen?
According to an American study, the “ideal” age for marriage is between 28 and 32. The researchers particularly singled out that age group on the basis that a person at that age is not classified as either definitively old or young. The Goldilocks principle suggests that those who settle down at that age are less liable to end up divorced.
If we delve into the history of the matter, we will find that from the dawn of time up until the beginning of the current century, people used to marry off their sons and daughters when they had not yet reached 18 years of age. Even more absurdly, if a girl reached 20 and had not yet married, she would be deemed a spinster! However, with time and exposure to the Western world, the idea of early marriage has changed somewhat. Society has even become harshly critical of marriage at such a young age.
In recent times, the trend has been to wait a bit longer, like between 25 and 35. It stuck around longer than expected, and many folks today are still sticking to it, either because they’re not ready to commit or they just want to enjoy being young a bit longer.
To get some clarity, we asked a bunch of young women what they thought. And boy, we got some interesting answers.
Yasmine, 25, says: “A few years ago, I used to say that I would get married when I reached 25, but that does not seem realistic now. But if I were to pick an appropriate age for marriage now, I’d say that 28 years sounds about right.”
Farida, 27, had a different take. She reckons there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some 25-year-olds are already settled down with kids, some are still hitting the books, and others couldn’t care less about marriage. So, it depends on the person.
We all know how difficult it is for two people to unanimously share one opinion on such matters, but 21-year-old Jumana and 19-year-old Jamila had a similar point of view. “I don’t want a huge age gap between me and my children. I really love the idea of being a young mom. So, I think that 27 would be ideal,” says Jumana. Jamila adds, “for me, the idea of getting married at a young age like 24 to someone I love and having children at this age would be ideal. I would very much like to become a young mother.”
So, what about you? When do you think is the best time to say “I do”?