If you're not in a serious relationship, you probably feel out of the loop these days.
I blame it on Facebook.
If you've signed in recently, chances are you've seen a message such as this:
"Friend X is now engaged."
Ahh crap, another one bites the dust.
It seems like in the wake of Christmas, Valentine's Day and Spring Break and on the verge of graduation, more and more people feel the need to proclaim their love for each other to the world, and Facebook is right there to help spread the word.
But with all this love in the air and in cyberspace, are people forgetting about the responsibilities associated with marriage?
According to Costofwedding.com, the average wedding in Muncie costs $17,280; in downtown Indianapolis, that number rises to $22,750. Things have to be cut out and trimmed off, leaving the bride without her dream wedding and the groom without the beer he'd like to provide his buddies for free.
Or, if you decide to go for the couture gown, does that mean that your dear aunts and uncles have to be left off the guest list?
Even if you have the funds for your dream wedding, a dream marriage doesn't exactly come easily. Nearly half of all marriages today end in divorce - that rate gets even higher as the brides' and grooms' ages get lower. Add the stress of making a marriage work to two individuals who are still finding themselves, along with newly acquired financial responsibilities, and you've got a mess right from the start. According to DivorceReform.org, waiting to marry at age 25 versus age 18 lowers your chance of divorce by 24 percent.
I'll take a step back here and give these loving couples the benefit of the doubt. They've added up all their bills and accepted the fact that there is serious compromise about to enter their lives, and they are genuinely ready for any and all responsibilities that will come their way. Their families are excited about their commitment, and everyone who wants to be at the wedding will be able to attend.
But you've accounted for that, so you decide to get married before graduation. Senior Megan (Brickley) Hall made that decision and tied the knot last summer.
"My mom convinced me to," Hall said. "She told me how obviously miserable I was away from him and how there were never two people who needed to be in each other's lives more."
Hall said it was the best decision she's ever made.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, senior Nicole Stewart decided to wait until after graduation. She and her long-term boyfriend, Matt McConnahea, are working on wrapping up the plans for their July wedding.
"We decided to wait until after I graduated because we wanted the opportunity to be more financially stable," Stewart said. "I wanted to stay at Ball State, too; if we would have married sooner I would have transferred to Findlay. It just seemed like the smarter choice to wait."
Understanding whether you're ready for marriage - not just to have a wedding - is the biggest step.
"If you're ready for it, really ready for it, then go ahead," Stewart said. "We had other things we wanted to do first, so waiting until after graduation was right for us."
Ultimately, it is up to the bride and groom - no matter their ages - to decide what time is right to get engaged and to have a wedding.
Either way, I'm sure Facebook will keep us informed.
Ally Covington is a senior public relations major and writes 'Cashing Out' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Ally at alcovington@bsu.edu
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