Many singletons secretly find the idea of getting wed ridiculous

The older I've got (32 and counting), the more preposterous a concept I find marriage to be. And hand on heart, before you say it, this is not because I'm bitter about not having done it myself. Thank goodness I didn't marry the first serious boyfriend I had (or the second, or third). Much to my parents' quiet disappointment, I don't think I'll ever tie the knot.

I'm far from alone in this. The proportion of women over 16 who are married is now just 49.5 per cent, according to official figures published yesterday – a record low.

What puts women like myself off the idea? It may surprise some men to read that, far from planning the 'best day of our lives' since childhood, many of us unhitched ladies cringe at the thought of hosting a wedding. They are a monumental waste of money. The outdated rituals associated with them are also downright creepy - the puritanical white dress, that kiss in front of an audience, the 'handing over' of bride by father.

There's also a glaring inconsistency in the outdated societal order of things. Buying a house with someone, that's a commitment; having a child together, a solid lifetime tie; marriage - odd that it should be the first priority, or even one at all.