Another wedding season is upon us. Several of our friends are getting married in the coming weeks. Of course, you can’t make it for all. But our thoughts and payers are for them as they walk down the aisle that they will go on to build great marriages!

But what is going on in the culture? Are more people getting married? Who are they marrying? How are they finding their mate? There is no doubt that the landscape of marriage is shifting, and researchers are debating whether it’s for better or worse.

Almost everyone says, ‘I want to get married.’ The problem is that people are finding hard to find mutually acceptable mate from within he immigrant community or have trouble getting what they want to get in marriage.

As a result of migrating to western society and embracing modernity, the mate selection process have been further complicated. Finding life partner today is not what it used to be for our grandfathers. Economic independence and feminist worldviews (both radical & egaliterian position) have added new parameters to the equation. Traditional, arranged and even love marriages have evolved over time.

Although divorce rates have gradually dropped since the early 1980s, marriage rates are now falling as well. Americans are increasingly choosing to cohabitate or stay single rather than take a trip down the aisle to the altar. Some arrnagements do not work, while others fall out of love.

Some trends are unexpected in the Indian American community. Inspite of high value expectation of getting married, there is a increase in singlehood, well into early 40s. More and more men and women (even with college education and good careers) are staying single far beyond marriageable age in the communities. Some are forced to remain single, while others are waiting for their soul-mate. Some are still working through allainces brought to them by their parents and others are searching through matrinomial websites.

Current recessionary economic also seems to have an effect on marriages. No one wants to give their daughters to unemployed young men. Some parents even checking on credit scores and debt liabilities before commit to marital alliances. Foreclosures are not just in the housing market, but are happening in marriages too.

More on it later! Please leave your comments. Thanks.