$14 weddings return at the Cute Little Wedding Chapel in Long Beach
According to the CDC, between 2011 and 2021, marriage rates in California dropped about 11%.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Every Valentine's Day you'll find Alan Katz at the Cute Little Wedding Chapel in Long Beach.
Every half an hour on Feb. 14, he performs wedding ceremonies for couples for just $14.
"The best part of this job is being able to see the expressions on peoples face when they get to do that final kiss, when they're saying their vows to each other, but what really gets me is the one single tear coming down the side of their face. That gets me every time," Katz said.
Over the years, thousands have gotten married at the chapel.
"I was so nervous and Alan just helped me along the way and led everything because I didn't know what to say or anything, so it was great," said Barbara Stone, a newlywed.
While many couples will get their happily ever after, what may surprise you is according to the CDC, between 2011 and 2021, marriage rates in California dropped about 11%. Just seven states saw increases in marriages between that time.
"People are delaying getting married. Thirty years ago the average age of marriage of someone in the United States was 24 for women and 25 for men and now it's at least five years later than that, which means that on average, people are spending more time before entering their first marriage," said Benjamin Karney, professor of social psychology at the University of California Los Angeles.
Karney says people are still forming long-term monogamous relationships or living together, but marriage is being delayed.
He says culturally there is a shift, people are forming relationships and having families without marriage.
Money and career goals are also factors in waiting to get married.
Grace Manthey contributed to this story.
Follow Jaysha on social media:
