There's been a significant change in the average age of British brides

Surprised?

Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde

According to a recent study, this is when the average couple reaches the big relationship milestones - but when it comes to some of those momentous moments, it seems men and women have different ideas. For example, while men generally want to wait 18 months to move in with their partner, women are more likely to suggest living together within a year.

It also seems that when it comes to walking down the aisle, men and women are making the commitment at different ages - although interestingly, all of us are now waiting longer than previous generations.

Bridebook.co.uk wanted to find out when modern British men and women were saying 'I do,' and asked 4,000 couples what age they were when they got married. The results showed that we are leaving it significantly later than our parents and grandparents.

The average age of a single woman getting married nowadays is 30.8 years old, compared to the average age of 22.6 years old in 1971.

For men, the results were similar - where the average age is now 32.7 years old, back in 1971 the average age for men to walk down the aisle was 24.6.

The website also found that (on average) couples were moving in together after 17 months and living together for three and a half years before joining in holy matrimony. It also noted that couples tended to have had two serious relationships before they found 'the one'.

Around 91% of the participants said that the act of marriage was to show commitment to their other half, and 85% admitted that it had strengthened their relationship.

Founder of Bridebook.co.uk, Hamish Shephard, said: 'It is fantastic to see how marriage is evolving with today's modern couples for the positive. Marriages are becoming stronger than ever, relationships happier and more committed than ever, and couples more independent and consensual in their decisions than ever.

'Whilst living together before getting married, having serious relationships out of wedlock or getting married when you are older were previously frowned upon, for the modern couple these can clearly be very positive steps to finding "the one" and having a fantastic long-lasting marriage.

'Weddings are now focused on the celebration of a couples' life-long commitment to one another, rather than the start of a new life together, and hence have become bigger and bigger occasions.'

Are you surprised that we're leaving it later to walk down the aisle? Considering how long it takes get a decent Tinder date these days, probably not.