Since the year 2000, the number of weddings between older people in the UK has doubled. People aged 60 and over are increasingly choosing to tie the knot with their later life partners and are fuelling a new trend in silver weddings in the process. In 2016, 21,000 women in their 50s got married, compared to 11,000 in 2001. The same year saw almost 7,000 women in their 60s get married, compared to just over 3,000 15 years earlier.
Although often smaller and more intimate than weddings hosted by their younger counterparts, these silver weddings have all the trappings of traditional ceremonies. A fantastic opportunity to celebrate your other half with friends and family, later life weddings are the perfect way to cement your relationship and create unforgettable memories.
Why are more older people walking down the aisle?
There are lots of reasons why people over 50 opt to take another chance on love and get hitched. For some, the reasons will be largely practical. If they’ve already been together for a number of years, making it official will ensure they’re entitled to each other’s pensions and that they have full rights when it comes to making medical decisions.
Others, however, will be walking down the aisle for purely sentimental reasons. Taking another chance on love later in life can give couples a real boost and celebrating this love in front of friends and family is a fantastic way to make it official and start your new lives together.
Silver wedding traditions
Although many older people opt for fairly traditional celebrations, there are no rules dictating how a silver wedding needs to be. For example, a lot of older people opt to include a number of their kids and grandkids in an oversized wedding party. As @HuffPost says, ‘When you are older and remarrying, there is likely some blending of families that will factor in. It’s nice to be able to include rather than exclude.’
Dresses
When it comes to selecting a dress for your silver wedding, there’s no reason you can’t choose a white gown for the big day. Older brides can look just as good in traditional dresses as their younger counterparts, so feel free to choose any design that catches your eye. If you don’t want to go for a full wedding dress, select a simpler white or ivory outfit for the big day. Another good option is to wear a white gown for the ceremony and then change into a looser or more glamorous outfit for the reception. This will help to ensure you feel comfortable throughout the day and gives you the perfect excuse to buy an extra outfit.
With more people over 50 getting married now than ever before, it’s a great time to start planning your later life nuptials. Find out more about planning weddings of all sizes, and about the exclusive use venues we offer, by taking a look around our site.
