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It\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day, when we celebrate romantic love, and is there anything more romantic than getting married? It\u2019s the way all those old films end, after all the \u201cwill they, won\u2019t they\u201d, the couple finally tie the knot, the titles roll and we all enjoy the warm certainty that they\u2019re sorted for life. What\u2019s not to love about marriage? A lifelong commitment to care for each other... a solemn promise rooted in love\u2026 perhaps the foundation for starting a family. But for many, marriage is losing its gloss. The latest government figures suggest that the proportion of adults in England and Wales who are married has, for the first time, fallen below 50%. \n \nThe rise of pre-nuptial agreements signals a change in levels of confidence about marriage. Is forever still forever? If it probably isn\u2019t \u2013 then let\u2019s just plan ahead for when it all goes wrong. \n \nWe live much longer than in the past, so \u201ctil death us do part\u201d is likely to be a very long time indeed. Perhaps it\u2019s now unreasonable to expect a lifelong commitment. Short of that, are human beings even built for monogamy? If love dies in a marriage, should that be the end, or is marital commitment broader than that? There is some evidence that outcomes for children are better if parents are married, and some people see it as a fundamental building block of society. But is there a moral value to marriage? Is it a striving for what is finest about being human, the highest realisation of not just romantic love, but of that important social unit \u2013 the couple? Or just an old fashioned idea, rooted in outdated traditions, all wrapped up in a sentimental rose tinted fantasy?

Presenter: Michael Buerk\nProducers: Jonathan Hallewell and Peter Everett\nAssistant Producer: Ruth Purser\nEditor: Tim Pemberton