Various reasons will impact whether or not you and the person you’re dating should tie the knot and start your new life together. This includes communication skills, how your values are aligned, and the ability to work together, amongst other things, which are crucial before accepting an engagement. But how about age? Even though a successful marriage can happen anytime during life, experts think some ages play an essential role in a more harmonious relationship.

So, is there an ideal age for getting married? We’ve researched some answers from a few professionals in marriage counseling, dating, and relationship and clinical social workers to help us with this question. 

What Age Should You Get Married In?

Experts suggest that you can be ready to get married at any age, as it all depends on where the person is in life instead of an exact timeline. There isn’t exactly the best age to get married; instead, there is a best ‘moment’ to get married. 

The best time to get married is when you’re comfortable with your job and personal life. So, there really isn’t a specific age for it. However, most experts agree that the best time to get married is usually after your late 20s. 

Let’s look at the important details about getting married from late teens to 40s and beyond.

Getting Married in the Late Teens and Early 20s

Dr. Wyatt Fisher, a licensed psychologist in marriage counseling, states that the younger the couple gets married, the more problems they’ll likely have. He also adds that partners in their late teens or early 20s tend to have higher divorce rates. 

The reason is that people grow up a lot in their 20s, and when people get married early, there’s a risk of changing drastically, and waking up feeling like you have nothing in common with your partner and wanting different things in life can be high. 

Another risk of getting married too early is that you may still want to seek all your options. “When you’re too young, you may risk not having all the experiences and meeting the right people yet, which is where you can decide what you want and don’t want. There’s plenty of self-exploration and growth that can happen when we date. 

Experts also worry that people in this age phase won’t have the same level of skills to make the marriage work. This may be due to the lack of experience, maturity, awareness, and level of communication to hold the base of a strong and standing marriage. This is why we recommend at least until your mid-20s to tie the knot. 

Getting Married in the Late 20s to Mid-30s

Dr. Fisher believes couples who marry in their late 20s to mid-30s are most successful. The reason is that in this age range, people have a clear sense of who they are and their desires in life. We should be more established and settled in this phase of life and more focused on who we are. You’ll be sinking into that by your late 20s and be there by your late 30s. 

By the time people reach the age of their late 20s or early 30s, they’ll be more aware, experienced, and mature when dealing with emotional, health, and financial issues or other things like trauma and communication. That’s why this time is convenient for people looking to settle down and get married. 

Besides that, this age bracket will likely handle the realities of marriage better. You’ll be more capable of responsibilities, accountability, and freedom during these years of life. Also, you’ll be financially more stable, which is ideal for starting a family together. 

How About Getting Married in Your Late 30s and Beyond?

More people are getting married later in life, and settling down during your late 30s or 40s is not anything abnormal. The upside for this is if you know what you want by this age, you’ve likely had enough experience and relationships, which means you know exactly what works and doesn’t work for you. 

The downside is that you might be a bit inflexible during this time as if you’ve been single for this long, you may be more set in your ways. You think your way is the only way, and it may be hard to compromise and share your ideals. This is where conflicts can come up. This applies to those who have been living independently and have high-powered jobs, and have traveled on their own. It can be challenging to merge your life with someone else. 

Dr. Fisher also adds that people may focus on the wrong qualities in a person when they get older. People can get too picky in their late 30s or 40s, especially in today’s world, where we have plenty of opportunities to date due to online dating platforms. This results in people looking endlessly for the perfect partner. People may never be satisfied because of all the options. 

Final Thoughts – Are You Ready for Marriage?

Remember that everything we’ve mentioned here is a broad generalization, as there are mature 20-year-olds and immature 40-year-olds. This leads to the question: how do we know if we are ready for marriage? Dr. Fisher says you should know that you’re ready for marriage when you’re comfortable with the person you’re dating and somewhat understand the complexities of being married and ready to handle them. You must know the weight and importance of marriage as a concept. We hope this blog will help you answer the questions about the estimated right age for marriage.