Research has revealed that couples are starting to put their life plans on hold due to the financial squeeze imposed on them by the recession.
Conducted by Churchill, the study found that 28 per cent of adults have put their plans on hold and, when a few years ago they might have purchased a house, started a family and got married, they are now forced to prioritise.
Of those that are being forced to choose which area of traditional family life they want to enjoy, a total of 43 per cent opted to have children first. Meanwhile, a third decided to buy a property, while just 22 per cent decided that marriage was the most important thing.
Matt Owen, spokesperson for Churchill Home Insurance, commented on the figures: “Financial uncertainty has meant a lot of people have had to make difficult decisions about their priorities in their home lives.
“It appears that having a big wedding is a now seen as a ‘nice to have', but starting their own family is what's really important for many couples.”
The findings are supported by government figures which showed that marriage in the UK has reached an all-time low of around 266,950 marriages a year, compared to 313,551 five years ago.
