A recent study by the University of Virginia in the US found that couples who have larger wedding ceremonies, have higher-quality marriages than those with 50 or fewer guests.
As one would expect, this has led to quite the debate, with many people arguing that very few people can afford Big Fat Greek Weddings – not to mention the stress involved with planning large-scale ceremonies and receptions.
But the study (which can be downloaded here) says the act of having a public ceremony symbolises a clear decision to commit to one’s marriage – doing this in front of a large group of people cements this commitment, which is a stronger deterrent for divorce.
Out of the 418 people they surveyed, only 31% of the couples who had 50 or fewer guests are said to be happily married. There seems to be a significant increase in happy couples when the number of guests go up, with 47% of the couples who had over 150 guests reporting they are happily married.
Not everyone seems to agree. Here are a few more articles about the study:
1. Why big fat weddings don’t guarantee a happy marriage – The Telegraph
2. Do big weddings make good marriages? – The Huffington Post
3. Few partners, big weddings could be the formula to a happy marriage. – Times Live
There obviously is more to this than mere numbers and figures. The financial security and support networks involved with big weddings could contribute to the marital bliss the study seems to be referring to. What do you think?
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