Getting Married Young?

[NHdisneylover]

We were both 22. Had been together over 7 years at that point. We will hit 13 years married this fall, together 20 in August...wow!

FWIW, I think that "young" means you can't legally drink at your wedding.

We live in Germany. If my 16 year old got married today--I would think that was YOUNG (and she could legally drink at the wedding)

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Official numbers for the US: 28.9 for men and 26.9 for women.

Source.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

I was 19 and DH was 23 when we married

We've been married 10+ years

 

[krcit]

I was 25 and think it was too young.

 

[marcyinPA]

At the age I am now, 24 for ANYTHING is young.

I was married at 25, my dh was 28. I think our ages were average.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I married old (at the ripe old age of 32) so I think everyone else married very young.

I just didn't find the right guy in time to marry any earlier.

 

[mrssmith06]

Yeah I would consider "too young" to be like 20 and under...but really depends on the person and how mature they are, if they are really ready for it.

I was 23 and DH was 27.

 

[bjscheel]

I was 19 and it has been 16.5 years. My mom was 20, my sister was 20, my brothers were probably 23 or so. I don't feel like I didn't "live my own life", this was my life. I wouldn't be the type to want to go party anyway.

It is weird though, now that I have a 14 year old to think of a wedding in 5 years. Probably won't happen, but it could!

I think a big part of people marrying older now, is that they are more likely to live together first than in past decades. Previously, if you wanted to live with them, you got married. Now, many will live together at a "young" age, but not decide to get married until years later.

 

[MissSabrinaLee]

Everyone I work with is a little older than me, around the 30 mark. My BF and I are 22 going on 23 and are thinking of getting engaged. Everyone I work with says it is too young! We've been together for almost 6 years and out of college for 3. We both started and finished college early and have been living together since before we finished college. It seems so silly to me that people will look at everything we've done together and then look at our age, which is a number, and say we are too young.

 

[wgeo]

My parents were 19 when they married, it will be 49 years this year!

I was 24, DH was 25 and we were some of the last of our "crowd" to get married. I'd been out of college for a few years and was supporting myself, DH had gone back for his masters but was also working and supporting himself. We didn't feel young at all. We are hitting 13 amazing yrs this summer.

The argument that drives me crazy about people marrying young is "you need to go out and have a chance to experience life before you settle down." There is nothing I would rather do than experience all kinds of things with my Husband. Just because we got married, doesn't mean we stopped doing things, learning and growing - we just get to do it together!

 

[NHdisneylover]

My parents were 19 when they married, it will be 49 years this year!

I was 24, DH was 25 and we were some of the last of our "crowd" to get married. I'd been out of college for a few years and was supporting myself, DH had gone back for his masters but was also working and supporting himself. We didn't feel young at all. We are hitting 13 amazing yrs this summer.

The argument that drives me crazy about people marrying young is "you need to go out and have a chance to experience life before you settle down." There is nothing I would rather do than experience all kinds of things with my Husband. Just because we got married, doesn't mean we stopped doing things, learning and growing - we just get to do it together!

Here! Here!

 

[mickeyboat]

I married at 21. DH was 22. I think that is young, and I would not be happy if my DDs wanted to get married that young.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

I would consider 21 and under "young" to be married, 22-30 would be normal and anything over I feel is late to be married. Not that there's anything wrong with marrying at any of them. I was 24, Dh was 22 when we got married. I have friends who were younger than us get married and stay married and I know people who didn't get married until around 40 and it worked for them.

 

[taylor3297]

I married old (at the ripe old age of 32) so I think everyone else married very young.

I just didn't find the right guy in time to marry any earlier.

I didn't get married until I was 34. Same here, I didn't find the right guy until then. Ended up having dd when I was 36 and ds when I was 40. Several times people have asked me how old my grandchildren are. The look on their faces when I tell them I am the Mama is priceless.

I try not to be offended because my oldest sister is 51 and has a grandchild. Where I am 46 and have a 10 year old and a 6 year old.

 

[bethbuchall]

My parents were 19 when they married, it will be 49 years this year!

I was 24, DH was 25 and we were some of the last of our "crowd" to get married. I'd been out of college for a few years and was supporting myself, DH had gone back for his masters but was also working and supporting himself. We didn't feel young at all. We are hitting 13 amazing yrs this summer.

The argument that drives me crazy about people marrying young is "you need to go out and have a chance to experience life before you settle down." There is nothing I would rather do than experience all kinds of things with my Husband. Just because we got married, doesn't mean we stopped doing things, learning and growing - we just get to do it together!

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

I was 24 (and 10 days) when I got married, and my husband was still 22 (but turning 23 in 3 months). I don't think either of us was particularly young.

There is nothing that I can think of that I'd want my kids to go out and do before getting married other than being able to support themselves. On the other hand, I wouldn't want them to marry just for the sake of being married by a certain age either.

 

[jodifla]

I think in general, under 21 is very young (too young for most people) to get married.

22 to early 30s seems pretty typical, and mid to late thirties seems on the later side.

I was 26 and DH was 28, and we joke that no one under 30 should get married! We celebrate 25 years next month. Most of our crow got married between the ages of 23 and 29. We were constantly in or going to weddings those years!

 

[jodifla]

My parents were 19 when they married, it will be 49 years this year!

I was 24, DH was 25 and we were some of the last of our "crowd" to get married. I'd been out of college for a few years and was supporting myself, DH had gone back for his masters but was also working and supporting himself. We didn't feel young at all. We are hitting 13 amazing yrs this summer.

The argument that drives me crazy about people marrying young is "you need to go out and have a chance to experience life before you settle down." There is nothing I would rather do than experience all kinds of things with my Husband. Just because we got married, doesn't mean we stopped doing things, learning and growing - we just get to do it together!

For me, I was glad I didn't go from my parent's house to college to married life. I spent almost 5 years on my own, and that was helpful to me. I learned a lot that I wouldn't have if I'd been married. I also explored a different set of things than I would have if I'd been married, and I certainly traveled more.

To me though, the big thing that changes your life more than marriage is kids.

 

[Becky2005]

I know people think "young" since I was 22 when I got married (nearly 23) but I don't think we were young at all to get married.

I know my DD will mention to people she thinks 23-24 is a great time to get married and they freak on her that it is way too young.

When I think young -- I do think those that get married right out of high school the minute they turn 18 type of thing (or get married even earlier in some cases).

I prefer it this way but I guess it is all what you grew up with, etc... My mom had 3 kids by the time she was 28 and so once we were all out of the house, they were still young and running around all over the place. She was more than happy to be Grandma then. I always thought it was great. I have a 10 year age span between my kids and definitely can tell the difference in my patience/ability (I used to have more. LOL!).

 

[JVL1018]

I was 21 and my husband was 25--I think we were both young!
I think under 27ish is young.

We waited to have kids, though. We had our first a week before our 7th anniversary. Best married decision we ever made was having those 7 years alone together.

We celebrated our 20th anniversary this past October and we're happy as ever.


My friends ranged from getting married at 25 to in their 40s. I had my kids at 28 and 29, two of my friends had their kids in their 20s(the ones who were married in their 20s), the rest in their 30s and a couple had kids in their 40s.

Whatever works, different for everyone.

I do encourage my kids to have 25 as the minimum age for marriage and late twenties for the minimum age for having kids, though.

 

[ElizK]

I was 19, DH was 21 when we got married. Our 25th anniv is coming up in the next few months! Yes, I would agree we were too young. It all worked out, though.

DD20 just got married a couple of months ago. I definitely had mixed feelings about her age, but she and her DH dated for 4 years, and he is a wonderful young man - the kind that we would have chosen for her!