Everyone loves a wedding

We are officially in the midst of a wedding boom. New Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals more than 116,000 marriages were registered last year, the highest number in 18 years.

We are officially in the midst of a wedding boom. New Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals more than 116,000 marriages were registered last year, the highest number in 18 years.

But instead of the traditional young couples tying the knot, the majority of those getting hitched were couples who were well into their 30s.

“They’ve been living together for a while, and 2007 pre-dated the financial crisis,” says Peter McDonald, the professor of demography at the Australian National University.

“Everyone was feeling rosy about the world then, and a lot of people decided to get married,” he told The Age.

McDonald says many of the people who have decided to marry later are wary of higher divorce rates and economic insecurity.

The numbers show 77% of couples live together before they marry, and while 20 years ago 60% of couples chose a religious official to perform the ceremony, 63% now opt for a civil celebrant.