For some statisticians and sociologists, the decline of marriage, if not its imminent disappearance, is a foregone conclusion. With the global recession, they say, the process is accelerating. Some figures suggest that they might be right. For example, in the US today, for the first time in a century, fewer people in their twenties are married. Surely, this is evidence of the beginning of the end for marriage? Actually, it’s not. If anything, marriage is as robust as ever. Predictions of its demise based on current statistics are, at best, misunderstandings and, at worst, misrepresentations: examples of the old syndrome of lies, damn lies and statistics.

The evidence would suggest otherwise. Of course, couples who feel financially insecure may be hesitant about marriage. But all they’re doing is postponing an expensive undertaking until they can better afford it. In the meantime, a greater number are cohabitating, which is more cost effective than living in two different places. The same census statistics show that across the entire US population over the age of 18, 52% were married. That’sa drop of from the 2000 figures, nine years earlier. How much of this is due to recession fuelled marriage postponement is hard to say. But some certainly is Cohabitation, being more socially acceptable in recent years in all social classes, is surely also a factor. But none of the figures seriously supports the claims of those who say that marriage is about to become a minority lifestyle choice, much less disappear. In fact, its popularity could well be increasing.

Anecdotal evidence from the guys at Portrait photography cheshire shows that booking have actually been increasing year on year (though this might just be because they are so brilliant at photographing events!)

Marriage is as popular now as it ever was for one very basic reason. People need intimacy and the company of others They don’t want to live their lives alone. The lifetime commitment by two people to stay together through good times and bad is a tried and tested insurance policy against loneliness. That fundamental human need hasn’t changed. Couples and the ways they relate may have changed. Marriage hasn’t. In the past, the man may have had the money and the power. Now the money and the power are more evenly shared. There’s a compelling argument that says marriages, as a result, are more stable.

Unlimited free energy, the perpetual motion machine, the car powered by water and the end of marriage. For decades, each of these was just around the comer. Now it seems that all the others will happen long before marriage ever goes out of fashion.