Marriage and Divorce Rates in the US

According to the US census data, both marriage and divorce rates have been declining over the past two decades. The absolute count of marriage is falling as well, from 2,443 thousands in 1990 to 2,077 thousands in 2009. Divine-Bridal.com summarizes the census data in the following graph and table.

List of states with high and low marriage and divorce rates (Compiled by Divine-Bridal.com)

DIAMOND, DIAMOND...

Most girls in a long-term relationship expect at least at some point to receive a beautiful rock from their partner. Expensive or not, it represents a genuine commit and love.

The rocks on engagement rings and other beautiful jewelries are gem-grade, accounting for only about 20% of all mined diamonds. The rest 80% are industrial-grade, valued mostly for their hardness and thermal conductivity.

The cost of a diamond ring is largely based on the characteristics known as the "4C's"-clarity, color, cut, and carat weight. We often hear something like a one carat (or 1 ct) diamond ring. How much is exactly one carat then? 0.2 grams. That is, a 5 ct diamond weighs about 1 gram.

Clarity is measured on a scale ranging from pure (flawless) to heavily included (I-3).


In terms of color of a diamond, less is more, and no color is supreme. Body color is measured on a scale ranging from colorless (D) to deeply colored (Z).



Diamonds with excellent cut will flash in the light with beautiful sparkles. Even though most ring shoppers don't have professional training in gemstones, they can still get a feeling whether a rock is shinning or dime.




We often hear "the engagement ring should be a man's 3 months pay." Is it true? According to the Knot survey, people spend on average $5130 on an engagement ring. The US median family income is about $47000 per year, about $3916 per month, so roughly speaking, men spend about 1.3 times monthly salary. Of course, this estimate is very rough due to several factors. First, the family income is for a family of four. Second, this is pre-tax income, and we all know, diamond rings are not tax-deductible!

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD A BRIDE SHOP FOR HER WEDDING DRESS?

Women are often shocked hearing one needs to shop for wedding dress at least six months before the ceremony. Many experts say nine to twelve months is ideal since you can put aside six months just for fittings and alterations. The main reason for such a long lead time is that wedding dresses need to fit perfectly, no more no less. Every woman has different body shape and even for the same women, her weight and shape vary from time to time. However, 99% of the wedding gowns are mass produced unless you are willing to pay a large premium for individual design, thus dresses come at discrete sizes (0,2,4,6,...). When the dress arrives, it is more than often imperfect until being altered, usually several times to achieve flawlessness.

To add to the long alteration period, you need to take into account how much time it takes to find the dress you envision yourself wearing walking down the aisle. Most women think "well, how hard can it be?  Just pick a beautiful wedding gown." The fact is, all wedding dresses are beautiful, so that it will be highly unlikely you make up your mind on the first trip to a store. The popular reality show "Say Yes to the Dress" might be a little exaggerating, but there are some truths to it.

HOW MUCH DO BRIDES SPEND ON WEDDING DRESS?

According to the Knot 2011 Real Wedding Survey on 18000 US brides, people spend more than $27,000 on wedding, excluding honeymoon. In Manhattan, couples spend an average $65,824.

2011 Wedding Statistics
– Average Wedding Budget: $27,021 (excludes honeymoon)
– Most Expensive Place to Get Married: Manhattan, $65,824 average spend
– Least Expensive Place to Get Married: West Virginia, $14,203 average spend
– Average Spent on a Wedding Dress: $1,121
– Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 30
– Average Number of Guests: 141
– Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4-5
– Average Number of Groomsmen: 4-5
– Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (16%)
– Average Length of Engagement: 14 months
– Most Popular Month to Get Married: September (15%)
– Popular Wedding Colors: Blue (30%), Purple (25%), Green (24%)
– Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24%

2011 Average Wedding Budget Breakdown 2011/2010
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Overall Wedding (excluding honeymoon) $27,021 $26,984
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Wedding Venue (reception hall) $12,116 $12,124
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Wedding/Event Planner $1,753 $1,683
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Reception Band $3,122 $3,081
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Reception DJ $929 $900
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Wedding Photographer $2,299 $2,320
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Florist/Décor $1,894 $1,988
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Videographer $1,486 $1,463
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Wedding Dress $1,121 $1,099
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Wedding Cake $535 $540
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Ceremony Site $1,599 $1,393
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Ceremony Musicians $536 $503
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Invitations $331 $351
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Limousine $669 $667
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Favors $217 $222
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Rehearsal Dinner $1,078 $1,127
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Engagement Ring $5,130 $5,392


Read more here: http://www.weddingbusinesstoday.com/wedding-industry-statistics/the-knot-releases-2011-real-wedding-survey-18000-bridesgrooms-participate/

SHOULD I BUY WEDDING GOWN ONLINE?

Buying wedding dress in store allows you to see how you look like in a dress, but shopping online for wedding gowns can save you big bucks. What should soon-to-be brides do?

Here is an interesting article discussing pros and cons of online wedding dress shopping.

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-buy-wedding-dress-online-396074.html

DIVINE-BRIDAL IS ONLINE NOW!

Divine-Bridal is now on the internet!

www.divine-bridal.com