The Bigger Your Engagement Ring, The More Likely You Are To Get Divorced

Diamonds are forever, but that doesn't mean they'll ensure your marriage lasts as long.

Researchers from Emory University conducted a study comparing 3,000 couples' wedding and engagement expenses to the relative length of their marriages, and the results are a little startling.

Spending less than $2,000 on an engagement ring decreased the risk of divorce, while rings above $2,000 represented a sharp increase in divorce rates.

For weddings, the "less is more" policy also applied. Those who spent over $20,000 on the ceremony and reception were up to 3.5 times more likely to divorce.

The study suggests stress related to financial matters and debt as one possible explanation for the correlation between expense and divorce. It just might be the rising piles of bills that drive couples apart.

The marriage industry sells the idea that couples need a lavish wedding in order to begin their life together happily. While this is the first scientific study to deal with the connection between expense and marriage longevity, the research seems to suggest otherwise.

But in 2013, the average wedding cost nearly $30,000. It's time to tone weddings down and place that emphasis on marriages, instead.

H/T: Today, Photo Courtesy: Tumblr