Love, Commitment And The Law

Across Britain, an intriguing social reversal is emerging. Legal marriages are quietly declining, while glamorous weddings in spectacular locations are booming.

The marquees are larger, the stationery more elaborate, and the florists seem to be single-handedly sustaining the economy. Yet for a growing number of couples, all this culminates not in a legally binding marriage but in a beautifully choreographed ceremony with no legal effect whatsoever.

In short, the wedding is flourishing; the marriage is becoming optional. Society appears to have decided that the celebration matters more than the paperwork.

For centuries, marriage was the social and legal cornerstone of adult life. Love might have been unpredictable, but marriage provided certainty: certainty about property, inheritance, next-of-kin status and family identity. Children born ‘out of wedlock’ faced social stigma, while marriage established paternity and provided women with essential economic security. No longer.