The wedding day is the happiest day of a couple’s lives, but it seems that the feeling doesn’t last, as over half of married couples regret their marriage at some point during its course.
Relationships on Female First
A survey conducted by OnePoll for IllicitEncounters.com showed that over 50 per cent of 4,000 British married couples regret their marriage at some point.
Most feel that the honeymoon period is over after one to two years, and then the regret starts to surface.
Shockingly, 11 per cent felt regret on their wedding day and a further 8 per cent within the following six months.
Twenty six per cent said that they had regretted their decision once or twice, with 19 per cent saying they sometimes felt they had made the wrong decision.
Sadly, 6 per cent of those surveyed said that they experienced regret about their marriage most of the time.
The most common reason for the regret, with 36 per cent of participants feeling this way, was that marriage took away independence.
Twenty four per cent said they felt they had married the wrong person, and 21 per cent said they disliked the routine and monotony of marriage.
Other reasons included not being able to flirt freely, the feeling that marriage impacted negatively on their social life and that they were attracted to someone else outside the marriage.
Rosie Freeman-Jones spokesperson for IllicitEncounters.com said, “People's expectations are changing when it comes to relationships.
“Whereas 30 years ago people were much more happy to 'grin and bear' their marriages, and settle for something stable, today we live in an era of choice where people are socially and financially mobilised.
“We're not accustomed to settling any more, in any area of our life. People expect the utmost from their marriage - but humans are fallible, and the very best isn't always possible when it comes to relationships.
“Take into account also that the majority of British people are not very religious, and have a heightened interest in constantly upgrading and improving their lives, and it's easy to see why people regret tying themselves down.”