Marrying after age 25 gives you a higher chance of success?

I don't think it has anything to do with dating experience. I think it's all about maturity and life experience.

My wife and I wed when we were both 19. Our experience -and the experience of many couples we've observed- is that we go through some pretty significant changes as individuals in our early 20's. Life starts to get serious. We are earning our own way, starting careers, venturing out from under Mom's and Dad's roof. I believe that a couple's bet chance for marriage success occurs when they wait to wed after this period of change. Get out of the parental home (But don't live together! Living together actually INCREASES the likelihood of divorce!) Work your career for 2-3 years. Make sure you've been dating or engaged for at least 2 years - to allow the infatuation factor to fade. I would have said 23-24 years old at the earliest.

For my wife and I, it was pretty rocky for us. We both "grew" in ways that made us different than the people we were at the altar. In other words, we didn't "grow together". We literally became different people. We didn't mean for it to happen, but it did!

Approximately age 24 was where it really got bad. It remained bad for nearly a decade. We stuck together and we're happy now - 28+ years later! It was a tough road for us. I thought we were going to get divorced several times.

My advice to you is to continue to date until you've both been out of school for at least a year or two. Then set up a year-long engagement - with a ring on your finger and a date on the calendar. Anything short of that is NOT an engagement.

I wish you all the success in the world!

I married at 38. I know for a fact that I am a completely different person now than I was at 20, and I know that anyone I had dated then would not be acceptable to me now. It's the truth. Of course, there are couples who marry at 18 and are in love for their entire lives, but I look at marriage as totally elective. If you were to have elective surgery, and the doc told you there was an 80% change you'd die if you had the operation now, would you still have it? What is he said that by waiting 5 years, your odds would improve by 40%? Wow! I'd wait! You can still stay with your guy-and if in 5 years you still find you're a strong couple, go for it! But if things change as you mature, and you decide to go your separate ways, at least you don't need a divorce to do that.

Well, I have been on both sides of that coin. My first marriage was when i was 20 and he was 19. We had a 1 yr old daughter, and I was getting pressured from my family to get married. That was a big mistake. My ex was not ready to settle down and get married. He prefered hanging out with his friends to spending time with me and our daughter. It lasted 5 years.

I met my now husband when he was 23 and i was 26. We have been together for 9 yrs, married for almost 2. I am glad we waited till we were older to be married. Although we are both very happy, my husband says that he sometimes regrets settling down so young. I think that if people are honest with themselves most feel that way. So people in their 20s should have fun and experience new people and places. Because there will be a time when you cant anymore.

I truly agree with wonder b. There are just too many factors to narrow down to just one. Yes, 50% of marriages end in divorce. More than age, I would point to lack of values in today's society, people giving up (thinking marriage is ALL bliss), and weakness (giving into temptations). Of course these are not the only reasons, but very important ones.

Marrying young may make you wish, later, that you were able to "live it up" more. I will agree that life experience is huge and, being older, you more of what you want/need in a life partner. I was indeed young when I wed (met at 20, married at 23, now 26). Both our values are strong, we do not believe in divorce (exempting certain circumstances), and continually work on our relationship to grow together.

I hope our answers help you, but ultimately, you'll have to make your own decision- are you really willing to "take a break" to gain what you might be missing?

I got married at 22, immediately after graduating from college. I have been married for nine years now. I do wish we would have waited a little bit. I feel I was too young now. Not that I would do things differently, but we could have saved more money, settled into our lives more before getting married. There was a lot of stress at first because we had to find a house, jobs, etc.

Alex, no offense...but that is not true. Marriage can work out if both people do the things that make it work.

I'm 24, my husband is 38. This is the first (and hopefully only) marriage for both of us. We're both financially settled. We help one another. We don't have children and neither one has ever had children. Before me, my husband dated many women. He was even engaged once...until she cheated on him with her ex. I was in an abusive relationship that didn't work out. I'm loyal to him, he's loyal to me. I won't be 25 until November...despite our age difference, we're both mature people who know what we want.

I don't believe that it is wise to marry too early, because marriage is serious business. I DO believe that emotional maturity matters. My cousin, who is a year older than me, eloped at 17. She had only known this guy for a few weeks when she decided to do this. He was nine years older and she only married him because he comes from a wealthy family. They don't have kids, but this year he filed for divorce. The reason? He finally woke up and realized what kind of person she is. He was sick of her infidelity, her lies, and her selfishness. Basically he didn't want to deal with her immaturity anymore. She didn't allow herself time to grow up...not only in terms of age, but in maturity.

My husband is older than me but his experiences have made him who he is. He never married before because he never found the right person...and I didn't because I felt I was too young to commit to marriage. Now that I'm a bit older, have more experience with life and more education, I know that this was the smart decision. Marriage isn't for everyone, tho...it depends on the people involved.

I firmly agree that marrying older improves your chances of a better marriage. Yolu have "sowed your oats", you know what you want, and you make better choices about your mate. OF COURSE, there will always be people that prove this theory wrong, but for the most part, you are better off marrying after 25.

Yeah, because your live is 3-quarters of the way over [ just kidding] . But, really I hope that is true cuz, I'm 35 and I just got married for the first time . I waited for just that reason[want it to last 4-ever] .

I waited until I was 30 and I do think that it is better to wait because you are more of an adult and you are more settled down, at least I was and also more experienced if planning a family. Also by then you have had a chance to sow your oats:)

i think it has more to do with other factors than getting married too early. in the early and mid 1900's people were always getting married in their teens and those relationship seemed to last. nowadays half of marriages end in divorce. there are just too many other factors that play into this.