Social media is playing a huge role in the recent rush of celebrities getting engaged to partners they’ve known for only weeks. “Today, if a celebrity couple is not posting their relationship ‘ins and outs’ all-over social media, the public quickly jump to the conclusion that there is trouble in paradise,” says matrimonial consultant Sheela Mackintosh-Stewart. Celebs who post grand PDA gestures are pulling in wide audiences and fueling the public’s appetite for celebrity romance.
“Ring reveals have also become the Instagram ‘it’ posts among celebrities – starting with rumors circulating days, weeks, if not months beforehand to keep everyone guessing,” says Mackintosh-Stewart. “Celebrity couples have turned posting cleverly created pictures of themselves and their ‘coupledom’ into an art form generating vast amounts of engagement globally, instead of treating their show of love as special personal moments.”
“As with all trends, ‘ring reveal’ posts have now become the norm as the wider general population are following suit. Unbelievably, I have heard people say, ‘if it’s not on social media, is it even real?’” she adds. Non-celebs who are tempted to follow the trend toward quickie engagements would be wise to go slow, advises Mackintosh-Stewart.
Most non-celeb couples take approximately two years from meeting to marrying. That average suggests non-celebs are better at evaluating the relationship before leaping into marriage, says Mackintosh-Stewart. “Celebrity speedy engagements do also raise the question about whether celebrities hold marriages to the same high esteem than the rest of us, given that they haven’t truly tested their relationship before entering into marriage?” she says. “Or is it just a case of them pursuing what they want, when they want it, irrespective of whether the relationship may not be right in the long run?”
The matrimonial consultant says the honeymoon phase of whirlwind marriages tend to fade after a year. That’s the length of time it takes for real character and personality traits to emerge, and the marriage runs into trouble.
Both celebs and non-celebs who are looking for lasting relationships should take time to make sure their core goals and beliefs are aligned with their partner’s, she advises. ”It’s easy to get side-tracked into a spontaneous whirlwind romance, but before getting hitched, ask the difficult questions and fully explore if you both want the same things in life,” says Mackintosh-Stewart.
“Do you both want children? Are you able to deal with and resolve differences in core values, religious beliefs and parenting styles? Will you still enjoy each other’s company and make each other happy forty years down the line?” she asks. “Take time to get to know each other properly and grow together as a couple. It is important to build on your commitment to each other and learn to appreciate each other’s talents and attributes, exploring how to love each other and be loved.”
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