It’s no secret that marriage is experiencing a cultural shift, as millennials are choosing to do things differently than generations before them. Yes, they do pursue relationships. But when it comes to love, they take more time to find the right partner before making things legal. They move in together. They get married later. They focus on personal needs, goals, and careers. Millennials are redefining marriage.

Millennials are still getting married. They’re just taking more time to find the right partner, while prioritizing financial success and individual goals—particularly women. Fewer choices were available for women of previous generations than now, and a shift in women’s roles in society is contributing to a widespread tapping of the brakes on marriage. Women today are more likely to prioritize their careers first, or make use of options like egg freezing to buy time. This has also prompted millennials to become even more selective when choosing a partner.

According to research published by Socius, the US has seen a 24% decline in the divorce rate since the 1980s, and millennial marriage behaviors are a huge contributing factor. Often children of divorce, it’s not unusual for millennials to fear going through a divorce themselves. According to a The Knot study, the average marrying age for women in 1965 was 21, and for men it was 23. Today, the average age for marriage is 29.2 for women, and 30.9 for men. It’s evident that if millennials choose marriage at all, they’re marrying at a much older age.

Gone are the days of rice showers, religious ceremonies, formal wedding venues, bouquet tosses and—let’s not forget—inviting everyone. According to a survey by The Knot, wedding traditions are being killed off by millennials, and they’re putting their own spin on weddings by opting for unconventional venues such as barns and farms. Traditional venues such as banquet halls and hotel reception rooms have dropped in popularity significantly over the past eight years. In another survey, 75% of millennial couples said they prefer non-religious venues, 40% didn’t ask for a parent’s blessing before getting engaged, and less than half had religious ceremonies.

More couples are choosing to cohabitate before marriage, and they’re almost six times more likely to do so than their parents’ generation. According to a report, moving in together before marriage has contributed to a decline in divorce rates. A study published in 2007 in the Journal of Marriage and Family found that living together “has become part of the pathway toward marriage.” You could consider cohabitation as a trial marriage, since living together could increase the odds of incompatible couples breaking up before tying the knot, resulting in a lower divorce rate. This reflects a huge shift in attitudes toward the process that precedes marriage.

An estimated 25% of millennials are unlikely to ever marry. As the majority of millennials find marriage less important than it used to be, marriage rates are declining—half of US adults today are married, dramatically lower than the peak of 72% in 1960. Another study by University of Zurich economist David Dorn found that declining marriage rates were affected by traditional gender roles and economic forces, making men less appealing partners for marriage.

Gaining life experience is very important for millennials. Exploring shared interests, knowing who you are, discovering what you want, and understanding how to achieve it are solid foundations for a long and meaningful relationship. While millennials may be delaying marriage, they’re taking the time to build stronger relationships with a groundwork of compassion, harmony, understanding, shared meaning and values that will eventually result in a happy marriage.