A cheaper engagement ring could mean a longer lasting marriage

It's no secret that weddings are expensive.

From the venue to the dress and even the cake can cost and absolute fortune. Couples are now coming up with little ways to save money on their big day whether it's making their own invitations or asking a friend to bake the cake. It's no surprise that couples want to save a bit of money to start their new life together but a new study has found another reason to cut the cost. According to the Social Science Research Network the stress that comes with wedding debt might be the underlying cause for divorce.

The research found that couples who spent $1,000 or less on a wedding had a significantly higher change at a longer lasting marriage.

However, considering the average Irish wedding costs around €20,000 we're not sure spending less that a grand is particularly doable.

"The hazard of divorce associated with spending more than $20,000 on the wedding is 3.5 times higher than the hazard of divorce associated with spending between $5,000 and $10,000." The study said.

The cost of engagement rings also had a lot to do with the success of a marriage for the 3,000 participants in the study.

"Spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on an engagement ring is significantly associated with an increase in the hazard of divorce." The results found.

The study was to examine the wedding industries attempt at linking a high-cost wedding to a happy marriage. The conclusion of the study explained that the correlation did not exist and that it may even be the opposite.

 

"We find that marriage duration is either not associated or inversely associated with spending on the engagement ring and wedding ceremony. Overall, our findings provide little evidence to support the validity of the wedding industry’s general message that connects expensive weddings with positive marital outcomes."

So perhaps it's worth having a cheap and cheerful wedding in order to have a long and happy marriage.