– WITH VIDEO AND INFOGRAPHIC: https://we.tl/2x6Va75N9e
By Valerie Siebert
Newly-engaged couples are increasingly delaying their nuptials because of financial reasons, according to new research.
The study of 5,000 married U.S. adults revealed that couples are increasingly delaying their wedding plans due to the rising costs of getting hitched.
The new survey displayed how marriage proposals have evolved over the past decade, including a surge in the number of couples who now say getting married caused a significant financial burden.
One in three (30 percent) of couples engaged in the last two years had to delay their wedding for financial reasons, according to the study, which was conducted by online engagement ring and loose diamond retailer JamesAllen.com.
Despite today’s couples spending slightly more on the proposal itself – whether through experiences or hiring a photographer – 30 percent say that they delayed nuptials for financial reasons, a significant increase from the 8 percent of couples of a decade ago.
Whether it be the desire to go viral online, or the burdensome financial strain, or perhaps just a turn towards the traditional, the difference a decade has made when it comes to the way people propose to each other is staggering.
Couples engaged in the last year were also more likely to downsize their wedding, reception and bachelor/bachelorette parties due to costs than couples in the past. And they were 12 times more likely to say that finances put a major damper on the romance of their wedding.
In addition to these financial strains, the JamesAllen.com study found that the engagement process itself has changed dramatically in the last decade, as a full 33 percent of couples engaged this past year involved a photographer for the big moment, as opposed to just one-in-ten a decade ago.
Couples are also increasingly adding a personal element to their rings with 61 percent personalizing their rings now – compared to just 20 percent who did so 10 years ago.
Splitting the cost of the ring is also trending upward, as the percentage of couples that choose to do so nearly doubled over the past ten years – spiking to 9 percent. And with good cause, as the average cost of a proposal, not including the ring, jumped up from $271 to $452.
Today’s couples also seem to be embracing tradition, as the percentage of people who asked permission from their spouse’s parents doubled in the last decade – from 30 percent to 64 percent.
People that popped the question in the last year were 3 times more likely (66 percent) to ask friends/family about ring suggestions than the 21 percent who proposed a decade ago.
Furry friends are seeing an increased role in proposals, as one out of two (51 percent) newly engaged couples saying they involved their pet – a significant spike from the 4 percent who did so a decade ago.
“A decade ago, proposals and engagements were not as meticulously planned as they are today,” said JamesAllen.com Co-Founder and President, Oded Edelman. “Things that were rare in the past – like having a photographer present or adding a personal touch to the ring – have now become the norm among our customers as a larger importance is placed on the proposal itself.”
