Young Couples now Waiting to Marry

According to recent census data, young couples are putting off marriage until their late twenties. The average age for a woman to marry is 26, while for men it's 28.

It seems that young people prefer to stay unmarried through their mid-twenties, either in long-term relationships or dating casually rather than rushing into marriage Experts have noticed this trend as well. A recent article in USA Today notes that young couples are choosing to stay in relationships for years, even a decade, before deciding to tie the knot.

Author Hannah Seligson discusses this trend in her book A Little Bit Married. She notes that about 23 million young couples are in committed unmarried relationships, up tenfold from the 1970s. These young couples are primarily college educated and city dwellers. Some have also witnessed their parents' marriages fall apart, and so they want to be sure they are marrying the right person for the right reasons.

In a recent interview I did with Seligson, she notes: "The concept of rushing down the aisle is a gait of another generation. You are now in the slim minority if you have not 'tested the waters' before marriage. So most people, particularly if they meet in their twenties, think it's a good idea to put on your marriage training wheels."

Authors Shannon Fox and Celeste Liversidge of recently released book Last One Down the Aisle Wins discuss just how young is "too young" for marriage. They maintain that the last thing young people in their twenties should be thinking about is marriage. "It is wise to be purposeful about how you spend your single years," they stated recently in The Washington Post. "Young people are staying in school longer, living at home longer and achieving true independence much later in life. We strongly believe that these days, you need to be able to stand on your own two feet (financially, physically and emotionally) before you're able to make a good choice in a partner or be a good partner."

They add, "The purpose of your twenties is to become the best complete person you can be, not the best half of a couple. That's what marriage is about."