Mail Order Brides Meaning, Prices, Legality And How Does The Industry Work?

What is a mail order bride?

The term mail order bride isn’t that new. In fact, the practice of finding a wife by mail dates back to 1614. Plenty of people growing up in the USA must remember reading a book called Sarah, Plain and Tall, about a woman who answered an ad placed by a frontier widower and his children. He was looking for a wife. Holy cow! It was 1614! More than 400 years ago!

I must tell you a lot has changed since then. Like, you know, you don’t have to write paper letters using quills and travel the ocean by ferry to marry a person you’ve never seen in your whole damn life. Oh, thank God for the Internet, it’s much more simple and safer now.

But I’m getting off the point, sorry for that. So, what is a mail order wife? Having hammered all existing dictionaries, I’ll put it in a nutshell for you. Oh, stop it, there’s nothing to thank me for, it was a pleasure. Thuswise, it’s a woman who intends to marry and goes online to register on dating platforms. As a rule, she comes from a less developed country and looks for a man from a first-world nation.

Do mail order marriages exist?

Now you’re damn good at mail order bride services history and can spill your knowledge on everybody who requires this valuable piece of information. Ok, I’m not sure every time you’re sitting at a bar your friends wonder if mail order brides still exist, but if they do burn with curiosity, don’t hold back to share what you know!

So, do women seek husbands from overseas? Yes, indeed! Such a type of relationship is gaining popularity nowadays. Actually, it has never been more high-demand. Learn the mail order bride statistics, buddy. The annual number of women registered as mail-order brides is about 100,000. There are around 10,000 mail order bride marriages a year. The industry is striving! Isn’t this obvious, dude?

Recent mail order bride statistics that I’ve found

I know-I know, figures may seem dull, but Jeez, I was blown away by mail order marriage statistics! Let me hit you with just the biggest ones so you get a sense of how massive this world really is:

• Around 11 mln Americans have a spouse of a different ethnicity.
• Almost 10,000 lucky US guys got Filipino wives in 2024, as that’s how many K-1 visas were issued to girls from this sweet spot in Asia back then.
• In more than 20% of families, one of the spouses was born outside the USA.
• Only 25% of overseas partners want a divorce within 15 years.
• Fellas, looking for a younger wifey, it’s your time—a typical age gap in international marriages is 7 years.
• Guess what? California bursts with foreign brides because most of the K-1 visa sponsors, almost 20%, are based there.
• Asian and Latin ladies win the love game, as around 35% and 28% of overseas fiancées, respectively, come from there to America.

Fasten the belt, bro, because now, you’ll find out the most mind-bending mail order bride statistics—the expected revenue of the matchmaking industry this year is damn $4.16 bn! In 2028, it can reach 4.33 bn, so online global dating seems just starting to speed up.

Can you really mail order a bride?

Okay, bro, I hope you understand the name of service has nothing to do with human trafficking. But let’s make it clear, you know, just in case. You don’t buy or order a woman. Never. Just don’t do it. I hope it’s a deal.

So, how do mail order brides work then? Any payments? Any rules? Well, yeah, no woman will agree to marry you if you’re broke and homeless. Sorry, just facts of life. You’re the one who pays for the site’s services. You spend money on your girl giving her presents and other stuff to make her fall in love and prove you aren’t a cheapskate. Trips, documentation, and all related expenses are covered by a man as well.

But you know what, buddy? It’s all worth it! After registering on tons of dating platforms and seeing hundreds of female profiles from all continents, I can surely give you my blessing to go out there and find your best wife. They’re so beautiful and hot that sometimes I had to pick up my jaw and fix it back. And the best thing — these girls are craving to get you as a husband!

How do mail order bride sites actually work?

Now, buddy, I’ll give you a short ride into the logic of mail order brides websites. In fact, it’s a walk in the park for a guy who wants to meet the most beautiful girls from around the globe. Briefly, a foreign single lady joins one of those awesome international dating apps to meet Westerners wanting to fall head over heels in love with an overseas crush. She creates a catchy profile full of details and dazzling pics, expecting to grab the attention of such a cool fella, like you, bro. Men who want to dip their toes into mail order bride dating also register, complete their accounts, top up their balances to use premium features, and start looking for matches.

Buddy, the best part about these dating sites is the quality of the search. All those AI-based algorithms, quizzes, and filters let you find women of a specific age, from a particular country, and totally suiting your appearance and values preferences. Moreover, there are legit mail order bride sites focused on a particular nationality or multi-geo ones, where you can choose a location. Also, the market has several big networks offering platforms for different regions. So, after you finally get your eyes off all those striking girls, you begin interaction. I can’t tell you for how long you’ll be seeking your ideal sweetheart, but usually, communication with a foreign match before a real-life meeting lasts for around 2-3 months.
The next step for a fella who believes he met his future mail order spouse is an offline appointment, which will get you traveling. There can be several visits before a couple decides to get hitched.

How much are mail order brides?

The cost of a mail order bride depends on many factors. So I can’t tell you the exact sum you’re going to spend when you start searching for a wife. But I can give you a shortlist of expenditures you’re likely to have.

• A website. You can of course use free resources and think you save, but you know — if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Do you really want a monkey, kiddo? That’s what I thought. A good website will cost you from $50 to $300 for 30 days. The more features you need, the more money it takes.
• Your bride. How much are you willing to spend on her? Is she spoiled and wants flowers and costly presents every month or week? Or she’s modest, self-reliant, and requires emotional bonds rather than material things? Think who you date and if she’s within your pocket. I’d say, wooing can take you from $50-100 up to $1000-2000 a month.
• Offline dates. You have to see each other in person before you decide to drop anchor, my friend! Add up the spendings on flights, hotels, visas, and other stuff like restaurants, shopping, taxi fare and you’ll get the approximate sum. On average, it’ll be somewhere from $500 to $3,000-5,000 for one trip.
• Relocation. If you decide to take your pretty girl to live with you, be ready to lash out a little again. This time you pay for her visa, paperwork, flight tickets, and other things she might need. All-in-all, relocation might cost you about $4,000-8,000.

I can’t tell that I’m good-ass at math, but I’ve done some calculation here for you, fella. Mail order bride pricing is something like $10,000-25,000. Not that much for everlasting happiness, right?

Are mail order brides illegal?

I’ve read like tons of couples stories who met on dating platforms. Women claim they feel happy, safe, and loved. Men say they have finally acquired a loyal and hot woman. Still have doubts if mail order brides are really legal? Well, if you’re as much overscrupulous as I am, follow a few tips to save you from possible scam.

1. Use a reliable dating website.
2. Never share any financial or personal information with users.
3. Contact the support team anytime you consider something suspicious.

There is also International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) that regulates these kinds of marriages.

Top countries to get mail order brides

I’ll make it short for you. Choose any nationality you have eyes for. Like Latin girls? Go mad over the Slovenian women? Mashed on Asians? It doesn’t matter! Mail order brides are everywhere! Ok, I see you still need a more precise answer. No problem, mate. Many consider that best mail order brides live in countries of Latin America and Eastern Europe. But who knows? Tastes differ. If I were you, I wouldn’t over-focus.

Are you still here, bro? Alright, I’ll give you accurate advice on mail order bride countries. As I told you earlier, gorgeous Filipinas are the leaders among Asian girls, but another popular destination in the region is Vietnam, with almost 2,200 K-1 visa issuances in 2024. If you want a traditional Slavic woman, opt for a Ukrainian—over 200 US buddies have happily found their soulmates in this country recently. Dreaming of a passionate Latina? Find mail order brides from Mexico! At least 4,000 Mexican applicants were approved to come to America to marry their significant others in 2024.

The bottom line

Finally I helped you out and shed the light on the mail order bride industry. The game is worth the candle! Why don’t you join the fun?