France -- Marriage back in fashion

Item from the Smart Marriages Archive, reproduced in the Divorce Statistics Collectio n

Thursday, December 7 2000 04:19 pm
subject: Marriage back in fashion - 12/2000

from: Smart Marriages

-Sapa-AFP
December 4, 2000

Marriage is back in fashion

Paris - Two out of three people in France believe the institution of
marriage is coming back into fashion, but almost a quarter no longer see it
as a lifelong commitment, according to a poll published on Monday.

Sixty-five percent think marriage is returning to fashion while 21 percent
believe it is completely or largely outdated, compared with 25 percent in a
similar poll four years ago.

But the numbers who believe marriage is a lifelong commitment have fallen to
76 percent, from 82 percent in 1996.

Then, as now, only 37 percent of the French believe that marriage possesses
the same or greater value it did 10 or 20 years ago, while 60 percent
believe it has less value.

Slightly more than half, 53 percent, still believe marriage is more
important than partnerships of unmarried couples. But 40 percent believe
that "civil solidarity pacts" of unmarried partners, as they are called
here, are as important or more important than the traditional bonds of
matrimony.

Among single persons asked, 58 percent said they intended to marry,
including five percent planning to tie the knot next year.

The main motivations given were: to found a family, to have a big wedding,
and for religious reasons, in that order of priority.

Fifteen percent of singles said they planned to set up home with a partner
without getting married.

Out of those planning matrimony, 73 percent wanted a full wedding reception
rather than celebrating their nuptials at their parents' homes.

Forty-eight percent want to invite more than 100 guests, 47 percent see
themselves spending between 200 and 400 francs (between 27 US dollars/30
euros and 54 US dollars/60 euros) on each wedding guest.

And more than 60 percent of both young Frenchmen and young Frenchwomen still
favour traditional wedding dress with the bride in white.

As to wedding presents, 80 percent would like their big present to be the
honeymoon itself, preferably on some romantic beach beneath coconut palms
rather than at the traditional destinations of French bridal couples such as
Venice.

A total of 705 people aged between 18 and 35 were interviewed for the poll
carried out by the BVA research group ahead of the Marriage Salon exhibition
which will be held in Paris between January 13 and 15.

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