Marriage is a sacred union between two people who are very much in love, and it is intended to last a lifetime.
However, few marriages actually do last a lifetime, as many end up in divorce.
Of course, there are always exceptions, and you might wonder what the longest-lasting marriage on record is.
The longest-lasting marriage on record lasted for 90 years and was between a couple who lived in the United Kingdom, Karam and Katari Chand.
The Chands married on December 11, 1925, and their marriage ended on September 16, 2016, when Karam passed away.
There are also several other couples whose marriages have come close to 90 years.
Why do so many marriages fail?
Marriages fail for a number of reasons, and they often fail because people simply get married for the wrong reasons in the first place.
However, other couples divorce because they grow apart, fall out of love, or because of infidelity.
Sometimes, two people should never have gotten married in the first place because their values, goals, and morals don’t align.
Would counseling prior to marriage help marriages last longer?
Some states – seven, in fact – actually require pre-marital counseling or classes before being allowed to obtain a marriage license.
Unfortunately, this requirement has not appeared to decrease the instances of divorce in most cases.
Some couples, however, greatly benefit from attending counseling prior to divorcing because it can promote communication between the couple.
There could be some married couples that learn enough during mandatory premarital counseling and/or classes to withstand the bad times with their spouses so their marriages can last.
If couples ensure their zodiac signs are compatible prior to marriage, can this prevent divorce?
Most people marry a person that they fall in love with, regardless of their zodiac sign.
However, according to astrology, some zodiac sign unions are doomed to failure even before they make such a long-term commitment to each other, so choosing a compatible sign could be helpful.
Some zodiac signs simply clash, which could increase divorce rates.
Are there any “magic” tips for making a marriage work?
You can peruse the internet and find an abundance of so-called tips for making a marriage work, but you might be disappointed.
Unfortunately, many married couples who are experiencing problems are already aware of these tips but ensuring that they actually implement these tips is the problem.
Of course, communication is the key to making any relationship work, regardless of the type of relationship, but some married couples allow anger and resentment to build up, and then they simply shut down and refuse to communicate properly.
Why are children so negatively affected by divorce?
Children thrive in an environment that is loving and stable, and two loving parents in a committed marriage are great for children.
When couples with children divorce, the children almost always believe that the divorce was because of something they did, even when this is most likely not true.
They can struggle with making changes in their living arrangements and a change in their family dynamics, which can lead to trouble at school, acting out, drug and alcohol use, depression, anxiety, and more.
How long is the average marriage?
While some marriages are a lot shorter or a lot longer, the average marriage lasts about eight years.
According to statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 6.1 out of every 1,000 marriages end in divorce in the United States.
If you’re going to get married soon, don’t let these statistics deter you, because every couple and every marriage is different.
How long is the shortest lasting marriage on record?
The shortest lasting marriage on record was in Dubai, in 2012.
The marriage was so short that the couple didn’t even make it out of the establishment where they married before the groom quickly went to the courthouse, which happened to be next door, and divorced his wife.
The reason that the man wanted a divorce immediately following the wedding vows was due to a disagreement with the bride’s father regarding a cultural issue.
Which state has the lowest divorce rate?
There are actually several states that have relatively low divorce rates, but each state has different reasons for divorce rates being so low.
In Iowa, only about 1.3 out of every 1000 couples divorce, but this is probably attributed to the fact that divorces in this state are very complicated and expensive.
However, in Illinois, where it’s very easy and inexpensive to be granted a divorce, the divorce rates are about 2 out of every 1000 couples. This is attributed to the older average age of the couples marrying.
Are couples who get married at 25 or younger more likely to fail?
It seems that the younger a couple is when they marry, the more likely their marriage is to fail.
Some couples get married so young that they haven’t had time to experience life alone, nor have they had enough time to mature.
Maturity is a huge factor in a marriage, and communication can sometimes be directly related to levels of maturity. While some older married couples can suffer from poor communication as well, it is more common in younger couples.
Which state has the highest divorce rate?
Arkansas has the highest divorce rate, and these extremely high divorce rates are attributed to the fact that a high number of couples are in their early 20s or even younger when they marry.
Younger married couples are more likely to be unfaithful, as they may not have had adequate time to “sow their wild oats” before tying themselves down with a husband or a wife. Of course, infidelity can be an issue in any age group, however.
What is the average length of time a married couple stays on their honeymoon?
The average length of time that a newly married couple stays on their honeymoon is seven days.
However, there are married couples who take extended honeymoons for two weeks or more, while others may not be able to take a honeymoon at all.
Seven days is usually the maximum amount of time that a newly married couple is able to get off work so that they can go on a honeymoon.
Where is the most popular place to honeymoon?
Statistics show that the most popular place that newlyweds choose to honeymoon in is Bora Bora.
Located in French Polynesia, Bora Bora is a super popular place for honeymoons, and it is known as the “romantic island.”
Bora Bora is full of luxurious resorts, turquoise blue waters, alluring white sand, and friendly locals.
Do people who have extravagant weddings stay married longer?
Actually, the exact opposite is true – couples who have the cheapest, simplest weddings are more likely to have lasting marriages.
The reason for this is that weddings are expensive, and not every couple’s parents have an unlimited bank account to pay for extravagant weddings.
Therefore, the couple getting married must cover some or all of the costs, which could put a huge financial strain on the marriage right from the start.
Are interracial marriages more likely to end in divorce?
Statistics show that interracial marriages are much more likely to end in divorce, with marriages between blacks and whites being the highest.
Research shows that interracial marriages between black and white people are more likely to end in divorce because of the issues they’re likely to experience from society.
Of course, many interracial marriages are successful, so if you’re thinking about marrying outside your race, there is no need to worry.
Is a wedding any less important if it’s cheap and has few guests?
Just because a couple doesn’t spend a huge amount of money on their wedding doesn’t mean it’s any less important than weddings that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In fact, studies show that couples who have simpler, cheaper weddings have longer-lasting marriages.
Not only are they able to save a great deal of money but having a smaller and less expensive wedding can minimize stress levels right from the beginning.
Do most marriages end when infidelity is involved?
Infidelity causes major problems in a marriage, and sometimes trust is permanently broken.
Couples may try to recover from infidelity, but oftentimes, it’s simply too destructive.
If the husband and wife are willing to seek counseling in order to save their marriage, then they have more of a chance of being successful, but, if they don’t go to therapy, then divorce is more likely to occur.
Are marriages with pre-existing children more likely to fail?
Blended families can be extremely difficult to deal with and marrying a person who has children from a previous marriage or relationship is likely to cause a greater number of problems.
Children can be resentful; exes have a tendency to be jealous and cause trouble – there could end up being a number of problems that negatively impact the marriage.
However, there are some “Brady Bunch” happy endings out there, and if everyone is willing to be positive and work together, things can work out for you too.
Are married couples over 65 less likely to divorce?
Since couples in their early 20s are more likely to divorce, it’s easy to believe that couples who are 65 and older are less likely to divorce, but this, surprisingly, isn’t always true.
One reason for this is not that the couple doesn’t love each other, but because they will better have the ability to qualify for Medicaid by being single rather than being married.
This is a sad but true statistic, as sticking together during the senior years is incredibly important.
In addition to learning about the longest and shortest marriages, there are many interesting facts to know about marriage in general.
Unfortunately, just because a couple has been married for a long time doesn’t mean that their marriage is happy.
Maybe the future will include more specific studies on the quality of long marriages, because if a couple is unhappily married, then it isn’t really a marriage in the true essence of the word.
