The Bigger The Wedding, The Happier The Marriage?
Hey there, bride-to-be. If you’re planning on eloping in the South of France, you may want to reconsider. While it may seem like a better option (gorgeous photos! no planning!) and will definitely save you lots of $$$, a recent study points out that you’ll be happier in your marriage if you invite more guests to witness you take the plunge.
According to the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project, couples who have fewer than 50 guests at their wedding were happy in their marriage only 31% percent of the time. Consequently, lovebirds that invited over 150 peeps were happy in their marriage 47% of the time. “Most of the individuals who married over the course of our study, 89 percent in all, reported having had a formal wedding. Those who did reported higher marital quality than those who did not,” says researchers. So you better start planning, girlfriend.
Luckily for you, here at Brit HQ have all the tools you need to plan your (now, much larger) event, whether you’re a DIY bride, one that loves gold or a non-traditional gal. We’ve got everything covered from font suggestions for your invites to awesome wedding photo inspo and budget bridal accessories — even creative ideas for your aisle. Think of us as your personal wedding planners. You’re totes welcs.
While we’d love to help you plan your upcoming nuptials, please don’t get us wrong; this is not intended to scare you away from getting hitched at city hall. The study doesn’t mean you must host a minimum of 151 guests to witness your vows. We can definitely think of some celebrity couples that prove the stat wrong. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries were married for 72 days and they had half the world at their wedding (not to mention, the event was broadcasted on a TV special). We’ll have to see how Kim and Kanye do and get back to you on that one. On the contrary, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos eloped in ‘96 and are happily married 18 years later. But then again, look how happy Kate Middleton and Prince William are… and we can pretty much guarantee that they had more than 150 guests at their affair. Clearly, we’re not sure how we feel about the statistic, but what we do know is that it’s not really about the popularity of your event (or lack there of), but more about the love connection you have with your boo.
Already married? Did you elope or have a traditional wedding? If you’re engaged, share your wedding plans below!