Expensive weddings can lead to divorce

As it turns out, diamonds are not forever. Or, at least, not the really big ones.

A new US study has found that there is a correlation between the size of your engagement ring and the success of your marriage. Research from Emery University has found that the bigger your rock, the more likely you’re heading to splitsville later on.

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The study (called A Diamond is Forever and Other Fairytails: The Relationship between Wedding Expenses and Marriage Duration) surveyed 3000 adults who had once been married. What they found was men who spent between US$2000 and $4000 on an engagement ring were 1.3 times more likely to get divorced than their more frugal counterparts who spent $500 to $2000 on a ring.

But don’t think buying the cheapest ring possible will lead to marital bliss – the study also found that spending less than $500 on a ring led to higher divorce rates.

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The news doesn’t bode well for brides in Australia, where a study by IBISWorld found the average cost of a wedding is $36, 200. The study also found that women who spent more than US$20,000 on a wedding were 3.5 times more likely to get divorced than those who spent between $5000 and $10,000.

Researchers Andrew Francis and Hugo Mialon said the study shows there is “little evidence to support the validity of the wedding industry’s general message that connects expensive weddings with positive marital outcomes.”

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These results could shake up Australia’s multi-million dollar wedding industry. According the last Bride To Be magazine Cost Of Love survey, couples spend around $55,000 on their weddings.

Rather than spending money on an opulent affair, they found it’s better to spend that money on the holiday after your big day: couples that had a big guest list and went on a honeymoon were more likely to have a lasting marriage.