More Older Couples Are Tying the Knot in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is showing its signs of age among those getting married in the state.

According to the New Hampshire Vital Records Information Network, in 1995, 5% of New Hampshire brides were age 20. In 2025, barely 0.5% of brides were 20. Similarly, about 2% of grooms were 20 years old in 1995; in 2025, the figure was well under 1%.

While the number of weddings in New Hampshire has grown from 1995, when data begins, through 2005, the figures have leveled off. In 2005, 9,497 weddings took place compared to 9,322 in 2025.

A Concord Monitor report studied the number of brides and the number of grooms ages 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 in each of four years: 1995, 2005, 2015, and 2025. While the number of marriages among 20- and 25-year-olds has declined consistently, the number among 30- and 35-year-olds has increased.

Interestingly, the number of marriages among 40-year-olds has remained consistent at approximately 150 per year, with most being on their second or third marriage.

Additionally, the Monitor found that in 1995, two-thirds of 35-year-old brides had been married two or three times. Last year, however, a full 80% of them were marrying for the first time, with a similar ratio for grooms. 

The federal narrative aligns with what's happening in New Hampshire. According to the Monitor, the median age for brides in their first marriage — meaning half were older, and half were younger — rose by four years from 1995 to 2025. Nationally, the median age of first-time brides was under 21 as late as 1973; today, it's close to 29.