European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Magazine to have and old by Randolph Schmid associated press americans marched to the altar last june at the highest rate in government statistics some american couples tied the knot in according to figures collected by the National Center for health that a rate of marriages per americans the highest level for any one month since june when the rate was but despite the surge in june traditionally the most popular month for weddings the National marriage rate remained relatively level on an annual Barbara Wilson of the statistics Center suggested two factors May have resulted in the jump in marriages in june there were five saturdays in she pointed which increases the likelihood of wed dings in the month because half of All weddings Are held on she the increase in the june marriage without a corresponding hike in the annual May also show that people Are being More deliberate in their couples who plan to marry May increasingly be choosing the time when vacations Are easier to schedule and the weather May be better for outdoor she for the 12 months ending june the marriage rate was per close to the recorded in the year that ended with june the number of marriages in the United states has been increasing in recent but Only enough to keep Pace with the growth of the causing the rate to remain relatively Wilson the nations annual marriage rate peaked at per persons in 1945 with the end of world War a time when Young men were returning from the forming families and launching the subsequent baby Boom the rate dropped to a decade later the first time it fell below 10 since the hard economic times of the depression and bottomed at in after that the rate began climbing steadily reach ing in and the annual rate has remained in that general area since junes per marriage rate for one month was Well above the rate recorded in june of the rate was in june of both 1981 and in june the rate was Down from in june the last 16 in june came in a month with Only four in contrast to the five available for weddings this Wilson noted that while june is the most popular wedding August and december Are also often of the estimated million marriages in one third involved at least one person previously other facts and figures seventy five percent of All divorced individuals will marry at least one More the average brides age is now years it was in average age of the Groom is it was in the bridal Market is estimated at More than half of is spent on Home furnishings and household the rest billion for engagement and wedding rings billion on honeymoon travel billion for wedding photos and americans serving overseas Are not out of step with this wedding thousands of service members and civilians tied the knot outside of the United states last More on getting married appears on the following five getting married especially in june has lost none of its Appeal june 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13