The Marrying Age

[Edward]

I think the proper age to marry is the age at which you meet the right person.

Arbitrarily setting an age probably will only lead to badness.

Absolutely. Culturally, back in the Old Country even now there's a frightening number of people that reach 25, 26, think "I'm marrying age" - and marry who they happen to be with, rather than thinking through whether that's such a good long term plan.

My paternal grandparents were, I believe, in their very early 20s; my maternal grandparents were 18 and (I think) 19. My parents married in their mid 20s, as did little brother. I remain single and probably will do for the foreseeable future. I consider it something of a blessing to live in an age when (certain family members and other people, whose opinion on the matter I do not value, aside) when remaining single well into middle age is not the social equivalent of leprosy.

 

[Kermez]

My parents got married at 19.

I was 22 and my wife was 21 (1991).

 

[maggiethespy]

My mother was 25 and my dad was 29.

My maternal grandmother was 18 and granddaddy was 19.

My paternal grandmother was 17. I'm not sure how old my paternal grandfather was-- we don't know much about him

I'm 19, and I'm no where near ready to get married. I've got so much to do-- finish my undergrad, get my masters, start a career! I'm not sure when I'll settle down, if I ever do.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

at 21, marriage is nowhere to be seen...all the peeps from highschool are engaged and poppin' out kids...no thanks...not right now...

 

[Edward]

I'm 19, and I'm no where near ready to get married. I've got so much to do-- finish my undergrad, get my masters, start a career! I'm not sure when I'll settle down, if I ever do.

And there's the difference.... my grandparents, all working class folks in small-town Ireland, did not have the educational and other opportunities back then that we did by Generation X. They would all have left school at about 14, and been working several years by the time they turned 18, so I suppose they would have been much more 'grown-up' by then than ever I was. I know that of my own contemporaries, the earlier they left education and started working, the earlier they seemed to settle down.

 

[Minerva]

My father's family tends to marry late (late 20s to early 30s). My grandfather was 27 when he married my 17 year old grandmother. As near as I can work out from the available paperwork, she needed to prove how old she was since she didn't have a birth certificate, then she needed parental consent to marry since she was under 18.

My mother's parents, I'm not sure about. I know they were married and in their early 20s when she was born, but since neither went to high school for all I currently know they could have been married for a while before that point.

 

[eldonkr]

I was going to propose to my ex next week, but we broke last tuesday, so there went that idea.

I had always planned to get married before I turned 21 but I guess that won't happen either.

On a brighter note, one of my friend's brothers doesn't look like the rest of his siblings. I tell him he's from the milk man. I'm waiting for the day he finally gets it.

 

[Caity Lynn]

I don't intend to get married before 26. That, in addition to the fact I only date older guys should ensure that we are both mature enough and set in our life paths to make it work.In my opinion, there is no divorce.

My parents married in their late 20's.

My maternal grandparents were quite a different story, My grandfather was already a widower, he and she married when she was 19 and He was 33. They had their 50th wedding anniversary about a week before cancer took him.Thats what I'm looking for.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I'm a big proponent of waiting until the mid 30s. If I had gotten married when I was in my early 20s, ew. I am such a different person now. I'm much less of a pain in the butt, if you can believe that!

 

[duggap]

I got married at 22. I was plenty old enough then. Now I am 63 and way too young to get married. I will let you live with me though.

 

[just_me]

My mother was 22 and my biological father a couple years old. My mother remarried when she was in her early 40s and my stepfather was in his mid 40s. They were married until he passed away.

I was 34 when I got married and my husband was 27.

 

[vintage_bel]

My grandparents were 18 (grandma) and 17 (grandpa).

In Australia you have to be 18 (same to vote(, so my grandpa had to get special permission from someone.

My parents were 21 (mum) and 23 (dad) but that didn't last.

My mother has just gotten engaged and she turns 50 in January (sorry Mum) and her fiance turns 60 in May!

I'm hoping to get engaged over the holidays (I'm 23) and my boy is 30 on Dec 4. I think the 3-0 is making him think a lot about life and what's to come etc.

 

[Clara Noir]

My parents were 21 (Mum) and 23 (Dad), the same age as my fiance and I will be.
They've been married 36 years so far. Til death do us part and all that. I can't vouch for my grandparents as I only know my step grampy, but he was about ten years younger than my nana and they were the talk of the street! I think he was late twenties to her late thirties...

In our book there's no divorce. It's not an option. Some people think we're mad because we are young, but we aren't looking to start a family. I'm in university for another 5 years, he's looking to do teacher training. We aren't settling down and nesting, we're getting married.

Does anyone else get the difference?

 

[just_me]

Yes. But I never thought I'd get divorced either.
Don't mean to sound like a downer, but you never know what the future holds until it gets here.

Lots of luck.

 

[Foofoogal]

just me

It takes 2 to have a marriage. Things do happen. If we learn from them this is the key.
I think very few people go into marriage thinking it will not work.
I have been at a wedding though and the guy state if it didn't work out they could get a divorce. Of course he was divorced within the year.
It is a serious committment and should not be taken lightly.

 

[just_me]

just me

It takes 2 to have a marriage. Things do happen. If we learn from them this is the key.
I think very few people go into marriage thinking it will not work.
It is a serious committment and should not be taken lightly.

I agree and most people go into it thinking that it will last. I, and my ex, did or we wouldn't have gotten married.

My point was that saying "there is no divorce" is not realistic unless it's for religious reasons and you won't divorce no matter what. Stuff happens, people change, and sometimes life throws us a curve ball.

I wish Clara Noir and her beau only the best in their lives.

 

[MEDIUMMYND]

People married younger years ago because they would rarely travel folks lived all their lives within a small area so childhood romances led to marriage.When for many reasons wars,national service,cheap motor cars etc folks horizons were broadened they broke free the world was full of eligible partners the childhood sweetheart was no longer good enough.My dad owned a car and did not marry until well into his thirty"s!!!!

 

[dhermann1]

However

I read something "SOMEWHERE" about European history that said that as far back as the 1300's people started marrying later in places like Holland, which was a major factor in their economic development into the modern mercantile world of today. Men sometimes waited till 30 before getting married, thus making sure they had a substantial nest egg to start with. This was the beginning of modern capitalism as we know it today. Interesting.

 

[Marzipan]

I was married at 24 and my husband at 40. So it's really a matter of when you're personally ready.

And I find it really interesting that so many people's grandparents were married due to being "caught" when so many people today claim that teens didn't have intercourse pre-60's. : }

 

[Randal]

My parents were 27 (mom) and 35 (dad). (1980)
I got married when I was 21 and my wife 19. (2003)
My wife and I are still happily married