Research conducted for the Church of England suggests that almost three quarters of unmarried adults under the age of 35 still dream of getting married. The figure is taken from a survey conducted by 9 Dot-Research for the C of E’s Life Events team. It would appear to contradict statistics for the actual number of weddings which show a continuing decline in both absolute numbers and in the rate: figures for opposite-sex marriage in 2015 show that there were 21.7 marriages per thousand unmarried men and 19.8 marriages per thousand unmarried women – the lowest rate on record.

The research company surveyed 1,085 unmarried people between the ages of 18 and 35 on 14th and 15th November 2017. Just 07% of this initial sample said that they “had no intention of ever being married.” They were excluded from the latter part of the survey on factors that would influence their wedding plans, giving a sample size of 1,012. Almost six in 10 (59%) said that they would like to marry at some point. Just over one in 10 (12%) said they were engaged and planning their upcoming nuptials. Significantly, the survey also suggests that millennials – a nickname given to people reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century – attach a special importance to church weddings, with more young people preferring to marry in a church or chapel (47%) than a register office or town hall (34%).

Those who would consider a church wedding were asked why it appealed to them from a list of options. Almost a third said that it felt like a “proper” wedding (31%). Marry- ing before God or receiving a blessing, was also in the top 10 (the seventh most chosen option). Millennials were also strongly drawn to “traditional / conventional” wedding venues (72%).

The research shows that for those considering marriage, almost one in six (17%) said that faith or religion had influenced their wedding ideas. The survey also shows that of those hoping to marry, just under half (43%) had thought about their wedding day by the time they reached 16. Women were more likely to have envisioned their wedding by that age (54%) than men (32%).