Nice day for a white wedding? Increasingly not it would seem. Perhaps if Mr Idol was to pen a sequel to his much-celebrated eighties hit, entitled Brutal Divorce', he might rise from obscurity once more and score an even bigger hit.
Even the most staunch advocate has to concede that the act of holy union is on the slide. But why? With the advent of marriage licences being granted for beaches, your favourite football stadium the local store where the friendly staff discount your milk surely there should be matrimonial tomfoolery on every street? And that's not to mention the new laws on gay and lesbian partnerships.
For a great many people, one marriage is a marriage too many. It's not that there aren't any long-term partnerships anymore or that we've all joined the same religious cult and are far too busy sacrificing goats to get involved on any meaningful basis. But the urge to cement commitment with the state just isn't there anymore, as was once expected.
One might argue the case for cost. Indeed, for the bride that wants it all, there are packages on offer only marginally less expensive than a night at a Vegas casino wearing a diamond encrusted cat suit. But for those who crave not the more lavish or eccentric paths in life, there is the option to simply stroll into the registry office.
Perhaps our parents, or those of our friends have influence here. There can be few people today who have not witnessed the destruction of a marriage, and what child could be denied his right to cynicism amidst two warring factions, both struggling for control over the household and the lives therein? At such an impressionable age, the memories will linger long and clear. If mummy and daddy couldn't stay together, what hope can they have in their own lives?
But let's also consider the media and those faces that adorn our newspapers and magazines on the breakfast table each morning. One might aspire to their fame and fortune, but you might as well turn your attention back under the table and to the dog if it's relationship advice you're after. Whether it's the inherent pressure of stardom or the public's insatiable thirst for scandal, the I Do's have barely echoed off the brickwork before the countdown begins to disillusionment, alcoholism and tearful daytime appearances with Oprah. It is almost as though a celebrity isn't worthy of the title if they haven't endured some form of marital hardship.
It's a grim conclusion: society does not want you to get married. It might cost you too much, half the people you know have split up and the rich and famous are changing partners like they're in the middle of a barn dance. The whole idea seems as flimsy as the paper contract you sign. Save for the poor souls bound to a religious doctrine, it's all too easy to absolve yourself of your vows and press on with the single life without fear of isolation or stigma.
So are we just missing the point; does there need to be an official recognition of a relationship? If we strip back the pretensions and the agonising over ceremony, wasn't this whole marriage idea about two people in love? And if that's the case, no person or document is needed to validate that.
Does anyone have Billy Idol's number? I feel some lyrics coming on...
