Marriage Age Poll

MeaghanandMichael

Skimming recent posts I was intrigued by the point made that often our parents and grandparents got married very young and many managed to stay together. However, knee jerk reaction on the knot is not always friendly to younger brides. Quick sociology/comparison study it is then!How old were your parents and grandparents when they got married? How long have they been together? Or, how long were they married until divorce/death?

gkb0910

My mom was 19 and my dad was 23.  They have been married for 35 years.However, 35+ years ago, women were not pursuing college degrees near as much as now.  People are often putting off marriage/families until they have their degrees.The diploma disease is a big part of this.  Previously, people with a bachelor's degree were highly sought after.  Now, almost everyone has one, so people are getting higher degrees and therefore postponing marriage.

shannonalise

Parents WOULD HAVE been married for 25 years, but my dad died of a sudden heart attack when I was 18 - in 2000. They were best friends. Grandparents? Not sure! Hm... I know that they were VERY young (I'm thinking 20, 21-ish) and were married until gramma died right after my dad did (her son) a few months later. He still loves her very much and misses her. He's almost 90 now.

Noron

I think both sets of grandparents were early twenties. Paternal grandparents almost made it to 60 years; maternal, my grandmother died when my mom was a baby.  So maybe 10 to 15 years?  My parents were 32 and 35, I think.  They've been together for 28 years.  

temerityjane

My parents were 26 and 27. They've been together for almost 28 years. Don't really know anything about my grandparents.

katiewhompus

My parents were married when my dad was 24 and mom was 25. They have been together for...28 years I believe. I think my grandparents were married in their early twenties as well and are still going strong 60+ years later.

Golfer'sLady

My father's parents were married at 18 or 19. They were married until she died, then he did about 15 years later but never remarried.My mother's parents were married in 1936. I don't remember how hold they were. Perhaps about 23 or 24. They were married until he died, then she died about 15 years later but never remarried.My parents were married when my mom was 29, father was 33. They were married for 24 years until my father's death in 2002.So neither my parents or both sets of grandparents were ever divorced.

RachNRich

My parents were 19 and 22--and were together 25 years; they just divorced last year. As for my grandparents--on my dad's side, they were together until death, over 40 years. Not sure on my Mom's side because her dad died before I was born, and she never let me meet her mom.

mrsLesGrossman

She was 18 and he was 37.  It was creepier back then but her modeling was the excuse that she was "mature". 

Brie2010

No idea about my grandparents.My parents were married when they were 25 and 23, and they were together 17 years when my dad died.We'll be 25 and 26 when we get married.

MeaghanandMichael

gkb- well I have my MRS degree and that is alll I need ;)My parents got married at 19. They have now been married for 44 years. They definitely had a shot gun wedding, but they did date since age 14. They have worked out though!My one set of grandparents married young and were at 55 years when they died. They had a very unhappy marriage though and really only stayed together out of Catholic guilt.The other set married late for their generation (30). People actually thought they were 'too old' to get married and start a family.

MissSarah786

Parents 21 and 26. Still married 25 years. Grandparents 17 and 19 - she was pregnant. Married 50, widowed. Me and Tim, 23 and 24.

[Deleted User]

My parents were both 23 and were married for 25 years. Then they divorced.

ThePinkSuperhero

My parents were 30 and 33.  Second marriage for my Dad- his first marriage at 24 ended in divorce very shortly after it started.  He never, ever talks about it.  While googling something regarding our wedding a few weeks ago, I found his first wedding announcement, including a big picture of his first wife and some details on their wedding.  That was weird.

andilion

I have no idea when either set of grandparents got married. My parents got married when my mom was 23 and my dad was 32. Kind of a big age difference, but they were both in school when they met (mom was an undergrad, dad was a postdoc). They're still married and they're really good for each other. My sister got married when she was 21, about 12 years ago. She has a really good relationship with her husband, and they have a beautiful family now. Even though I got married very young, I didn't look to my mom and sister's cases as proof that my relationship would succeed. All of us were married in different times, with very different circumstances. I tried my best to evaluate our relationship for the context of our own lives.

mocha beans

I think mom was 22, dad was 24, if I remember their birthdays right.  They divorced after 11 years.  Vastly different personalities as they grew older.Grandparents, both sets are still married, but I'm not sure how old they were when they got married.

gkb0910

gkb- well I have my MRS degree and that is alll I need ;)I totally agree, Meaghan.  I'm working toward mine and will have it in a little over 2 months.

apple_green

We'll be 24 and 31.My parents were 22 and 28.My dad's parents were like 17 and 21ish? Mom's parents I'm not sure, early 20s I think.

PreppySailor

My parents were both 20, they have been married for 32 years.

trrouble07

my mom and dad were married when she was 26 and he was 35.  they've been together for 32 years.  i know my mom's parents got married when my grandmother was 25 but they divorced ... i don't know when, but i think it was after my mom was out of high school.  i could be wrong.dad's parents stayed married but i have no idea what age they got married.  grandmother died when i was 4 and they had been married for at least 40 years. 

ggmae

My grandparents were 18 and 20 when they were married. If my grandmother were still alive, they would have been married 63 years this year.My parents were married at 25 and 29. They have been married 25 years thus far.DH and I were married at 22 and 24, so right in the middle.

bbyckes

Mom was 20 and my dad 23.  Married for 28 years.  Divorced about 10 years ago.When FI and marry, I'll be 35 and he will be 40.

salt78

My mom and dad were both 23 or something when they got married. I was born when they were 25. They were divorced when I was 7. I don't know how old any of my grandparents were when they got married, but they never divorced or got remarried.

mwhitson14

My mom was 18, 2 weeks after her HS graduation they got married, dad was 22. They've been married for 25 years this past june.

salt78

Oh and when FI and I get married we will be 31 (nearly 32) <--- me and 30 <--- him.

MeaghanandMichael

See, this is a good mix of all different way relationships work out like I thought it would be. It is interesting me though how many young marriages did work out, or did for a long time. I wonder if that is more the people or the mentality of those generations...also...Even though I got married very young, I didn't look to my mom and sister's cases as proof that my relationship would succeed. That is interesting you say that Andi. While I totally agree that every one has a different relationship and you can't take things for granted or compare, I actually turn to my parents and my sister as role models. They really inspire me. My sister was married at 22 and 16 years later has a gorgeous house, three awesome kids and they still go on dates all the time

sunflower1998

Parents were 23 and 21. They've been married for 35 years and are going strong!

Nebb

My parents got married in '71 and were 22/23 in age, got divorced in '87. Both of my sets of grandparents married young. My g-parents on my dads side were married around 54 years before my grandfather passed away, my g-parents on my moms side would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary this year but my grandmother passed away this spring.

andilion

Meaghan, I definitely take things from their relationships as a model for myself. I just never thought "oh well my mom and sister got married young so mine will definitely work out!" I see a lot of younger brides use that reasoning and it seems flawed to me.

tenofcups4me

My mom was 22 (already graduated college and working) and dad was 25. They've been together 47years. In the early 60s, I think that was a pretty average age for the men and women they're friends with. I do know some women of that era who didn't go to college and married a little earlier, but most of the women my parents are friends with did go to college and didn't get married till afterwards. My mother's parents: Married in 1934; grandmom was 20; grandpop 23. They were married for more than 50 years till my grandfather died. I'm not sure exactly when my father's parents got married, but based on when their first child was born, I'm guessing it was around 1931, which would have made him 21 and her 20. They were married till my grandfather died.

tlv204

Paternal grandparents: Married at 17, stayed married for about 55 years until my grandfather passed away. She had all 4 of her children before 21. That creeps me out for some reason.Maternal grandparents: My mom's mom passed away before I was born, so I'm not sure about how long they were married, but they never divorced.  My step-grandmother and my grandfather got married about 27 years ago and are still together.  They were both over 40 I think, second marriage for both. My parents:  Married at about 30, stayed together about 10 years then hated each others guts.  They probably still would if my dad hadn't passed away.