To never have been married by 34...

[teacakespecial]

All my friends are married or engaged. At the least they have been married!
I have 2 kids with ExP.. we were close to getting married then COVID (luckily) put a stop to that. Lockdown was the weekend before my hen do.
I'm 35 this bloody year and feel like I'll never get married, if I do I'm going to be an old bride.
Just feel sad I never got the happy ever after wedding I imagined as a little girl.
Anyone else?

Everyone I know was married early 20s and still married now. For me met the love of my life, we now have 4 beautiful children and love love love being married to the best in the world for me. Keep saying need baby 5 next haha

Guilty pleasure is watching Say Yes to the Dress. Brides in tears exclaiming how they've dreamt of this day since they were a little gitlrl and just wanted to look "like a princess" on their wedding day. Unbelievable. Grown women talking this bollocks in the 21st century. I'm hooked!😆

I think if having the ‘Happy Ever After wedding’ is what you think marriage is about then it’s probably best you don’t have it… you would be sorely disappointed. Sure, the wedding day is fun but the actual marriage is hard work!

Marriage when it works can be great. My friends and I are an anomaly: all in our fifties and have been married since our early thirties and not divorced.

But marriage when it doesn’t work can be abusive, toxic and hideously expensive to escape from.

I think it is not healthy to idealise marriage and make it the sole goal for our kids. I have definitely told my children that there is more than one way to live a life. I have advised them never to depend financially on a partner, always to know their worth and never to settle for someone who does not value them. Marriage is definitely not something we should push for the next generation; the goal should be to feel strong and happy, whether in a relationship or not.

I'll be 38 this year and I've never been married. I do however have 2 wonderful kids (one from previous relationship, one from current relationship), and have been with my partner for almost 8 years. We don't feel the need to get married to make our lives better.

I met DH at 34 and married him at 35. Never say never!