So Many Reasons to Get Married

Current research suggests a person’s level of happiness is related to whether or whether not that person is married. The Office of National Statistics in the UK polled 165,000 British people about their overall satisfaction with life and anxiety levels. What they discovered is that being married is 20 times more important to happiness levels than salary and 13 times more important than being a home owner. If you think about it, getting married could be the best gift you could ever give yourself – this wedding gift keeps on giving!

According to the survey results, being married was the third most deciding factor related to happiness and overall well-being, after health and employment status. Marriage as a factor in happiness even came in ahead of religion and having children. In addition, people who are married report being happier than couples who are cohabitating, single, divorced or widowed.

Other studies have linked marital status with overall life satisfaction. One study conducted in 2012, discovered that being married protects against an age-related reduction in happiness. So, getting older is more bearable when you have someone to do it with! Groomstand.com suggest marking each passing anniversary with a special personalized gift to commemorate your shared love and happiness!

Being united with another person in marriage also has significant health perks, too. Research has shown that singles who were never married were more than twice as likely die early as people in a long-term relationship. You’ve probably heard this benefit of getting married before, but it bears repeating. Married couples, even more so than couples just co-habitating, are healthier. Research has shown that married couples report fewer incidences of cancer, heart disease, depression and stress. Being married can be likened to a bottle of fine wine, it gets better and more worthwhile over time. In fact, break out that personalized corkscrew you received as a wedding gift and toast to your significant other for a lifetime of happiness.

Another interesting outlook toward marriage is that a good deal of people, and a surprising number of younger people, actually do expect marriage to last a lifetime. One study found that 86 percent of both single and married people in the 18 -29 year old age group believed in “until death do we part.” It is nice to know that the young generation still has the romantic ideal about marriage and wants to put in the work to make it succeed.

While some advice givers might tell you that the honeymoon stage (typically meant to be the first year of marriage) is the best phase of a relationship, an Australian study actually found out that couples are happiest after the first year has passed. Often the first year of marriage can be a “wedding hangover,” filled with unrealistic expectations of the relationship, wrinkles that need to be ironed out from newly living together, paying off the wedding and other early life-stage stresses.

So, if you have been experiencing “cold feet” when it comes to getting married, get some socks! Well, seriously, you should know that any life change is bound to cause anxiety, but in the end, you’ll be happier and live longer. It sounds like a win-win! Assuming you’ve already popped the question, get going on that wedding planning? Pick you groomsmen and get them groomsmen gifts (and don’t forget a specialbest man gift), plan a honeymoon, select a gift for the bride from the groom (perhaps a pretty necklace and jewelry box to keep it in) and plan the rehearsal dinner. Remember, don’t worry – be happy! Be happy you’re getting married!