Marrying young fell out of favor. Some couples believe it gave them a career advantage.
Some couples who married in their early 20s argue that the partnership provided a financial and career advantage. Data suggests that married households often have higher net worths, though the trend of marrying young remains less common than in previous decades.
Why it matters
It explores the intersection of personal life choices and long-term economic outcomes in a modern context.
Durelle and Samantha Bailey (left) and Nick Davidov and Marina Davidova (right) got married in their early 20s. They said marrying young and working as a team helped them professionally. Durelle and Samantha Bailey/Nick Davidov and Marina Davidova When Durelle Bailey wanted to get married at 22, he faced some skepticism from his friends and family. There was the concern that the couple didn't know each other well enough yet. They'd met via Instagram in 2013, when they were both 19, and had mostly been long-distance throughout the relationship, living together in Tucson, Arizona, only for the last six months before marriage. "'Are you sure? Do you want to give up your 20s right now?'" Bailey, 31, recalls hearing. His wife, Samantha Bailey, 31, remembers one person telling them: "Getting married at 22 is leaving the party at 8 p.m.; It hasn't even started yet!"
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