Why the cost of your engagement ring matters
Couples who have not formalised their marriage now risk losing benefits they enjoy at work. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
Are you the type of woman that will pressure your man to splurge on a ring? Is he the type of man who thinks that it is important for him to impress others?
If so, then you may be looking at some tough times ahead.
All this is a reflection of the persuasive powers of the wedding industry.
If you are currently planning for the wedding of your dreams, you may want to consider scaling down the cost of the rings and the wedding because new research suggests that the cost of your engagement ring has a direct effect on how long your marriage will last.
When it comes to engagements rings, bigger isn’t always better. According to this study, the bigger the rock, the shorter the marriage. Less expensive rings on the other hand were tied to longer, more successful marriages.
Economic professors from Emory University in the US came to these findings after surveying 3, 000 adults who had been married at some point in their lives.
Couples who spent between $2,000 (Sh178,000) and $4,000 ( Sh356,000 shillings) on a wedding ring were found to be 1.3 times more likely to get divorced than those who spent between $500 (Sh44,500) and $2, 000 (Sh178,000). Likewise, couples who spent more than $20,000 (Sh1.7 million) on a wedding were found to be three and a half times more likely to divorce than those who spent between $5, 000 (Sh445,000) and $10, 000 (Sh890,000).
The authors hypothesised that the correlation between high engagement ring and weddings costs and short-lived marriages stems from the financial pressures placed on couples who are determined to have the perfect day whether or not they can afford it.
Financial strain
Financial strain has been linked to marriage dissolution. Also, couples fixated on huge diamonds rings might not be focused on the real important things in their relationship.
Are you the type of woman that will pressure your man to splurge on a ring? Is he the type of man who thinks that it is important for him to impress others? If so, then you may be looking at some tough times ahead.
All this is a reflection of the persuasive powers of the wedding industry.
The researchers blame the wedding industry for creating a new standard of what is ideal and encouraging brides and grooms to spend as much as possible on their big day.
Through television advertisements and magazines, the wedding industry sends the general message that high wedding costs are followed by positive marital outcomes.
The study found little to support the validity of this message.
The study however found that things like regularly attending religious services together, having a baby and inviting more people to the wedding actually lowered the chances of a divorce.
