When You Know, You Know: Marrying in Your 20s

By Courtney Plunk

Wedding bells frequent the thoughts of many girls and women, whether very single or very engaged. The white gown. Venue shopping. And, of course, wondering how to stay sane through it all.

But when is the best time to get married, exactly?

In the U.S., the average age to tie the knot is currently 26.5 for women and 28.7 for men. But Time magazine reports on a study encouraging a longer wait: “people should get married between the ages of 28 and 32 to decrease their chances of getting a divorce.”

Stamping an age on marriage is something Ashton Bell, a 22-year-old who recently graduated from Lubbock Christian University, is straying away from. She looks forward to marrying her boyfriend next year.

“We are very in love and have never been happier,” Bell said. “Cliche, I know, but true! I never believed the saying ‘When you know, you know’ until I met Dillon. We are trying to get married before he starts playing baseball in the fall at LCU.”

Bell doesn’t have a ring yet, but, she said, “we are planning to get engaged any day now!”

She is worried, however, about the cost of a wedding and paying the bills as a married couple.

“I am a new graduate with a brand new job, and weddings are expensive,” Bell said. “With Dillon still in school and will be when we plan on being married, we won’t have the two usual incomes to live off of. [But] we will find a way because it means so much to us. ”

“When you know that person is the one, age doesn’t matter.”

Aimee Quilantan, a 26-year-old dental hygienist who got engaged in September 2015, said she and her fiancé waited until they both had graduated to make that commitment. They are getting married in January.

Her advice to other young adults considering engagement and marriage: “Be in sync in your goals and passions, and get to know your other really well before you commit.”

Quilantan said her favorite part about being engaged is knowing she gets to spend the rest of her life with her best friend.

“When you know that person is the one, age doesn’t matter,” she added. But she is aware marriage will require an adjustment, with challenges such as splitting bills and discovering a partner’s “flaws and bad habits.”

Narissa Carter, a communication studies professor, said no matter the age, listening to and hearing one’s partner are crucial skills for newlyweds and married couples.

“Empathy skills are highly important to understand where your partner is coming from,” Carter said.

Her best advice for young adults starting the process of engagement: Have fun and be true to yourself.

For more opinions, check out the video below!

About JOUR 4350

JOUR 4350 is the multiplatform news delivery class, which is the capstone class for journalism majors within the College of Media & Communication.