Parents' Guide to Marriage or Mortgage

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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 12+

Light reality about money choices has some drinking.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

MARRIAGE OR MORTGAGE is a reality series featuring couples who are deciding between spending their money on a house or on the wedding of their dreams. Each episode features wedding planner Sarah Miller and real estate agent Nichole Holmes meeting with a couple to determine what kind of wedding they want, and what kind of house they'd be interested in buying. After checking out potential venues they can afford to rent, and touring potential houses they can afford to buy, each pair must decide if they are going to spend their money on a wedding bash or on a love nest.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say ( 1 ):

This lighthearted series shows couples from all walks of life trying to decide if they're going to spend their money on a once-in-a-lifetime wedding event, or invest in a home that gives them long-term benefits. Each pair of lovebirds have their own dreams about their nuptials. They also have long lists of what they want their first home to have. As a result, couples often experience sticker shock as they learn the true costs of both.

Marriage Or Mortgage isn't the most exciting of shows, mainly because the overall series feels contrived from start to finish. The working relationship between Nichole Holmes and Sarah Miller is a professional mismatch, and how they go about ‘surprising' the couples with bonuses to entice them to choose one option over the other feels preplanned. Nonetheless, it's fun to see what the couples choose to do, and how it turns out in the end. Ultimately, it's worth tuning into if you're looking for some reality fluff.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the real costs associated with a big wedding. Why do some couples choose to have one, despite the expense? Does media reinforce the idea that big weddings have to be big or expensive?

  • What messages does Marriage Or Mortgage send about the importance of owning a home? What about the significance of having a wedding? Where do these ideas come from? Are they accurate?

TV Details

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