Study Reveals Love Marriages Are On The Rise. Let's Explore Why

A study conducted by WeddingWire India revealed that love marriages are increasing in the country, while arranged marriages have seen a 24% drop since 2020. The survey showed that more millennials in their late 20s and Genzers are opting for love marriages primarily because of the "evolving attitudes of their families."

The poll also found that 44% of couples had an arranged marriage in 2023, compared to 68% in 2020. The participants of the survey consisted mostly of couples from Tier 1 cities, and Delhi topped the list with 34% of love marriages. The ratio of women to men was 2:1. The change over the past three years seems quite drastic and reflects how much families have evolved in terms of accepting their children's love lives.

Love Marriages Are Increasing

The main reason is that modern women are highly independent and want to be involved in wedding planning. Be it an intimate ceremony with close family and friends or a big, fat Indian wedding, today’s women have taken agency over their lives and want to make life decisions based on their choices.

Traditionally, brides would come straight to the mandap during the muhurat. Since most women in those days were dependent on men for their survival and were scared to step outside of social norms. So, even if women don’t find their partner compatible, they just tolerate an unhappy or toxic married life.

Today, women have found a voice because they are educated, financially independent, and empowered. All our lives we are conditioned to not even interact with strangers, and bam, one day our parents expect us to get married to a stranger. How is that even logical? Shouldn't women have the autonomy to choose the person they are going to live with? Isn't it better to always pursue a relationship or be in a courtship for a while, check compatibility, and ensure no red flags are surpassed rather than hurry into wedlock and then crib about being in an unhappy marriage or go through the ordeal of divorce?

Women have their own dreams and desires for their wedding. From choosing the destination, wedding outfits, mangalsutra, rings, decorations, photography, catering, and even financially contributing to it, women do it all. Now that we are in an age where we find matches online, it’s no wonder that women have the upper hand in deciding whom they want to marry.

Even if parents open a profile on a matrimonial site, women are equally involved in handling the account. They aren’t hesitant to discuss it with their family and, in fact, are determined to set the partner preference according to their choice. Women ensure that their parents understand that they need to know the man they are going to get married to. While the courtship period in a typical arranged marriage could be three to six months, women today know that they need a year or two to decide on their life partner. So, even if they meet on a matrimonial site, the couple decides to get married only if they fall in love.

Besides, we are living in the era of social media and dating apps. So it’s becoming common for today’s women to socialise, have greater exposure, and thus know how to choose the right partner for themselves. Women are increasingly becoming aware of their rights and aren't afraid to say no.

Also, parents, especially in cities, are gradually warming up to the idea of their children, especially daughters, falling in love and choosing their life partner on their own. While love marriage in our country as a whole remains an evolving concept, we’ve definitely come a long way, and the future looks optimistic.

Suggested Reading:Is It Wrong To Marry For Love? Why Are Women Not Free to Choose Their Partners?