Why getting married is all about the waiting game

THE days of the teen bride seem to be well and truly over.

Now only one in seven women are aged under 25 on their wedding day. In the late 1960s, the figure was close to four out of five.

The shift away from early marriage was highlighted by the Office for National Statistics in a snapshot study of the lives of young people.

It comes as millions of women choose to cohabit with a partner or marry in their thirties after concentrating on their careers.

The average age that a woman gets married in Scotland for the first time is 31 and has risen by two years in the past decade, although it is younger than the rest of the UK where it is now 34.

Among those who get married, fewer than a third actually walk down the aisle, with brides now choosing a more modern style of wedding in ‘approved premises’ such as stately homes or football ground hospitality suites.

The Marriage Foundation think tank says the figures mean fewer than half of current 20-year-olds are likely to marry.

Spokesman Harry Benson said: ‘What we’re seeing is the devastating trickle-down effect of the trend away from marriage.’

Sarah Thompson of family law firm Slater & Gordon, said: ‘The younger generations have often witnessed their own parents or their friends’ parents go through an acrimonious divorce. As a result, they tend to be more careful about settling down.’