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Our Wedding - 2003
Eric and I started dating when I was 18 (he was 21), got engaged when we were 19 and 22, and married at 20 and 23.
I've read that, statistically, marriages are more likely to last if you wait until your mid-twenties to get married. Don't wait too long, though, because getting married after your mid-thirties increases the likely-hood of divorce also. Of course, age is just one thing in a long list factors involved in the health and success in a marriage.
We were young and naive and in love and have pretty much grown up together. We had our babies young (I was 21, 23, 25, and 27 when they were born) and I don't think that waiting a few years to get married would have changed any challenges we've faced. I don't regret getting married young, but I don't necessarily recommend it, either. I guess it just depends on the couple and the circumstances. It was right for us.
How old were you when you got married? Has it helped or hindered your marriage?
(You can read more at Focus on the Family or Cosmopolitan. Two very different publications. ha!)
I'm SO excited about this month's Marriage Series! We'll start Wednesday with Friendship vs Romance. I'd love to have each one of you, with your unique perspective, join the the conversation and even post about the topics on your blog, if you'd like. If you weren't here, you can still read last year's Marriage Series.
This is great Morgan!!!!! I love discussions on marriage. I wrote a big post on how I make my marriage work and it seemed everyone loved it.
ReplyDeleteI got married at 29...yes I was old but we dated for 5 years before getting married and were friends 7 years before that so I've known my husband for 17 years:) We've been married 5 years. I don't think I would have been mature enough to get married at 20 or 21. I know I wouldn't have. I was making bad decisons at that point in my life. SO glad I waited for the right one:) xoxoxo Hanna
What a great story! I love that you guys dated and knew each other for so long before getting married. I was definitely mature at 20, but thankfully it's worked out and I've grown up. ha! :)
DeleteI need to go check out your post!
my husband and i eloped when we were 21, after only knowing each other for three months. :) (when you know, you just know!) we've been married for seven years, and i couldn't imagine life without him.
ReplyDeleteWow! I love it! That is so amazing!
Deletelooking forward to reading this series!! (Not married :))
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emily! And, feel free to jump in on the discussions...you definitely don't have to be married! :)
DeleteMy husband and I started dating when I was 17 and he was 18 and got married when I was 24 and he was 26. Now we've been together for 10 years and are expecting our first little one in June, just before our 3rd wedding anniversary! We knew early on that we'd be together forever, but neither of us felt the need to rush into marriage. I think making sure it's right is the most important thing, not really how old you are.
ReplyDeleteI agree!!!
ReplyDeleteI was engaged right out of high school (though pre-engaged in high school, because we were told to wait until after I graduated). We were married at 20 & 21. We really wish we married a year or two earlier, honestly, but it is crazy to think we have been married nearly 9 years now (in June it will be). I was 23 & 25 when our sons were born. I do know a bunch of people who have been divorced already now though who are in my age group (I'll be 30 this year), and it is devastating to us as a couple to see happen to our friends or people we grew with (most of them are married only a year to 4 years during their decision to divorce). My husband's graduating class had about 7 high school sweetheart couples marry out of the class and they are all still married too. ;) It is pretty wild and awesome!
I love that my husband and I grew up together and continue to grow as a couple in marriage. I think having God as the mold in marriage is what makes it work the most. I know a lot of long lasting married couples who don't believe in God, but I think God is still molding them even if they refuse to recognize it being God.
+Victoria+
I am writing a series on US too. I just posted part 1 today. :)
ReplyDeleteI was 17 when I met my husband and 21 when we were married. 23, 25 and 30 when having our kids.
Congrats to you and your husband and to many more years...God bless you both.
I was 25, well is, my birthday is in May and I was married in September and my husband is 32. A little too soon to see if marrying at this age will work for us, but I know if I married at 21 that would have been bad news.
ReplyDeleteMy mom got married at 20 and had me at 21. Parents are still together, but I know my mom has her regrets. Not about having us, just having us that young.
Ooh, you guys match us! We got married (in 2003!) when I was 20 years and three weeks old. Luke was 22. I had my babies at 22, 25, 27. And like you, I wouldn't exactly recommend it for everyone, but it certainly worked out for us. It's actually kind of refreshing to see another couple in the same boat. I don't meet many!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I did the math again. I had my babies at 23, 25, 27. Not 22. I got pregnant when I was 22 but he was born after I turned 23. :)
DeleteHey Morgan! I haven't read or written in so long, but thought that this would be a good place to start! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I can't believe it's almost 10 years for you and Eric! Happy early anniversary :) That also means it's been far too long since I've seen you, since last time you were a newly-wed!
I have seen examples of healthy marriages that started at a young age and marriages that started young have ended in divorce. I think there are more important factors - maturity (emotional, spiritual, etc), family history, character, etc.
Physiologically, a man's frontal cortex (I think) of his brain doesn't fully develop until he's 25... that part affects maturity, responsibility, etc. So maybe that's a helpful measuring stick? ;)
Josh and I met when we were both 24, I was almost 25. Dated for one year, engaged for 4 months - we just had our 5 year anniversary and are expecting Baby #3! It's been a whirlwind but a good one (mostly) :) We agree that if we had met earlier we wouldn't have liked each other, let alone dated! lol! So God knew we weren't ready yet, but when we did meet we knew early on that it would be forever!
I look forward to reading more of your thoughts and insight into marriage!
My husband and I were 21 when we got married, and 22 when we had our first baby. We had unusual circumstances because we met on a missions trip in February in Thailand, where he lived. I was there two weeks, then we Skyped and corresponded until June when he came to the US. We got engaged in September, married in November, and moved to Thailand the day after. It's been hard, very hard, but it worked for us and we've just had to grow up fast and learn how to have a lot of grace. I think if we had it to do over we would have waited longer for everything, but God has used it in some great ways, and I'm thankful. :)
ReplyDeleteWe got married when I was 23 and he was 26, and had our first baby when I was 26, due to fertility challenges. Not the timing I would have chosen, but it has all worked out wonderfully so far:)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I got married young too, at 19. Had our kids at 19, 20, 23 and 25. Like you I don't regret it, but I wouldn't recommend it either. The first few years were hard.
ReplyDelete