A new poll of married people has shown some stark differences in the married lives and path to marriage of newlyweds and those married over 25 years ago. Like Prince William and Catherine Middleton, half of today’s newly married couples had split up before going on to marry their partner. This wasn’t the case for those married before 1986, where just two out of ten couples had broken up with their partner before wedding bells were tolled.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of couples did not live together before they were married, compared to only 10% of today’s newlyweds. Both groups wanted to achieve similar things before they tied the knot – including education goals, financial stability and job success. Most of today’s couples met through friends or family, while most of those who have successfully navigated their silver wedding anniversary met socially.

The main reason for getting married 25 years ago was ‘celebrating love’ according to the survey, while today it’s because newlyweds believe marriage to be the best foundation for bringing up a family – despite more than a third (38%) having children before marrying. Good communication and supportiveness were voted the most important ingredients for a healthy marriage by both old and newlyweds.