Marriage in the US Becomes a Symbol of Luxury: Why Weddings Are Losing Accessibility

According to glavcom.ua: Marriage in the US is losing its former economic function, transforming from a means of achieving financial stability into an indicator of already achieved success. This trend is confirmed by data from The Wall Street Journal. This leads to marriage becoming less accessible for less affluent segments of society.

The modern generation of Americans considers financial stability a prerequisite for marriage, rather than its result, as was the case before. The model of marriage has changed from 'marriage as a cornerstone' to 'marriage as a crown'. This approach increases the age of marriageability and decreases the likelihood of entering into marriage.

“First, achieve a certain level of success in education and career – then get married,” advises sociology professor Brad Wilcox from the University of Virginia.

These changes make marriage less accessible for low-income individuals and deepen economic inequality, as financial stability becomes a priority before entering marriage.

Key Reasons for This Trend:

• Property Division: A decline in marriage rates among people with higher education compared to statistics among people without higher education.
• “Status Symbol”: Marriage is seen as a display of status, so people are in no rush to marry until they achieve financial stability.
• Influence of Wealthy Parents: People with wealthy parents have a higher likelihood of marriage. This consolidates inequality in society.

Such transformations are the result of economic progress for women and economic difficulties for men without higher education. The conditions for marriage are becoming more complex due to increased demands on potential partners regarding financial stability.

In the US, there is a rising trend to marry only after achieving financial success, further deepening economic inequality. The younger generation sees financial stability as a prerequisite for marriage, preferring career advancement and education over entering marriage. Such changes in perceptions of marriage make it less accessible for less affluent segments of society and confirm the growing economic divide. This indicates the difficulties faced by people who wish to marry in contemporary society.