New research reveals average age women get married is later than ever

We're not feeling the pressure to settle down as early as our parents did

The social pressure to tie the knot as early as possible, whether you're in a relationship or not, seems to be getting worse with social media - but women are now going against the grain and choosing to get married later than ever according to one survey.

In fact new research by bridal app Bridebook has revealed that we're getting married later than we did 50 years ago.

The average age that single women are getting married in 2017 is 31 years old.

This is a huge contrast to the single women of the 70s - who, on average, got hitched at 23.

And it's even older for men in 2017 - with the average man tying the knot at 33 years old. But in 1971 they were getting wed far younger, at nearly 25.

The new figures won't come as a surprise for that many, as the cost of a wedding has severely risen in the past few years.

Recent stats have shown that the cost of the average wedding can be around £27,000, and that doesn't even account for the expensive hen parties or honeymoons.

Being a wedding guest doesn't come cheap either. Stats by American Express earlier this year showed that on average people will spend £1,728 on seeing their friends get married this summer.

The research from Bridebook, which surveyed 4,000 people, also showed some other trends when it comes to weddings and relationships in 2017.

According to the stats, couples are waiting longer than ever to get engaged, with most couples getting married nearly five years after they met.

Engagements are longer too, with the average lasting for around 20 months before the big day.

But that doesn't mean that we are shunning the idea of marriage, as the research also showed that 95 per cent of those married would recommend it, while 91 per cent got married as they wanted to be in a committed relationship.

How old were you when you got married? Let us know in the comments below

Sarah Finley
Freelance wrtier

 Sarah is a freelance journalist, writing for various women's magazines and national online consumer titles including the BBC and The Daily Mail, for over 10 years. Sarah has interviewed CEO's, real-life case studies and celebrities. Writing on everything from travel to fitness, and business to beauty - some of her features have been read by millions of people - in just one day.