Our attitudes to marriage are well and truly fixed in the modern age, according to the Barna Group, a research organization that looks at the state of faith and spirituality in the USA.

George Barna, who directed a study into marriage and divorce statistics earlier this year, comments “America has become an experimental, experience-driven culture. Rather than learn from objective information and teaching based on that information, people prefer to follow their instincts and let the chips fall where they may. Given that tendency, we can expect America to retain the highest divorce rate among all developed nations of the world.”

We romantics, however, prefer to look on the bright side. Here’s a two of my favourite celebrity couples who married in 2008 and who really deserve a shot at happiness.

Olivia Newton-John and John Easterling
Newton-John, 59, married 59 year old Easterling, a natural-health businessman, in June this year. Newton-John believes she has finally found happiness with a fellow environmental campaigner, after having battled breast cancer, supported her daughter through Anorexia, endured infidelity in her first marriage to Matt Lattanzi and come through the disappearance of Patrick McDermott, her former partner of 9 years who disappeared on a fishing trip. After all that angst, let’s hope Easterling can really put the smile back on Newton-John’s face.

Maria Carey and Nick Cannon
Top selling singer, Carey, has very publicly endured a marriage of convenience to Sony boss Tony Mottola, suffered constant hounding from the media amidst accusations of having issues around her body image and self esteem and, famously, went through a complete breakdown in 2001.

Now her career has stepped up a gear once again and she and Cannon, best known for his MTV Series Wild ‘n Out and various film roles, tied the knot in April. This new union has elevated Carey and Cannon into the ranks of the hottest couples, but with Carey’s emotional history, things could get really tough for her if it doesn’t work out this time.

Rhian Gibbings

What happens to the ring when things go sour and the engagement is broken off? Surprisingly, it depends on where you live.

In the United States, the ring is considered a conditional gift; if the marriage is canceled, the ring must be returned. Irish law holds the same view of the situation. But in Britain, the return of the ring is only enforced if there was a prior agreement by the parties to do so in case of breaking up. In Canada, it depends on who breaks it off, if the bride cancels, she must return it but if the groom backs out, he forfeits his claim to the ring.

A recent court case in Australia ruled that the bride having refused the marriage offer, no longer retained rights to the gift but that it became bailed property. Thus, when Vikie Pappas as bailee, ordered her father to throw out everything her former fiance had given her including the ring, she improperly and unlawfully disposed of bailed property.