It's the day most women dream of when they're kids; walking down the aisle to marry their prince charming.

The notion of a fairy tale wedding is still alive but the age at which women decide to make that commitment is steadily increasing.

American women are waiting longer to tie the knot these days. In Bay County 20 percent of women over the age of 15 fit into that category. They say that delaying marriage has allowed them more time to get an education, build a career and have their own independent lives.

50 years ago it was the social norm to get married right after high school. Now there are over 51 million unmarried and single women in the united states.

Sociologist Ronald A Penton Sr. says times are changing. "People are just not as willing to jump into marriage now as they used to. When I was a kid it was natural 18, 19, 20 to graduate from high school get married."

Now, the average age for women to get married is around 25. Many single women have taken this time to get an education, build a career, buy a home and travel.

Claire Calohan is a Licensed Social Worker. "I think that it's options and opportunity. In the early part of the century, women really needed to be married to have any kind of legitimacy and now women have so many options. They have options for employment, they have options for education, for careers and I think they are exercising these options."

Claire Calohan teaches sociology at FSU-Panama City. She has experienced the waiting game within her own family. Her only daughter Ally just got married in October at the age of 34. "She had a very active social life and a lot of friends that she met in Atlanta-Most of them are still not married and they have chosen to pursue their careers and have just not found that person."

Bonnie Whittington is a mortgage broker and has been married for 20 years. She waited to get married because she says she just wasn't ready. "I waited till I was 25 just because I was too immature and I'm serious. It's the honest truth. I was too immature for my age and so I am glad I waited."

Despite delaying marriage most women still look forward to that big day, according to Kenneth Finch, mental Health Counselor. "On the college campuses it's not unusual to find females that are looking through all the bridal magazines but career and..well degree and career education is a high focus."

"I think all in all women are saying, pretty much guys I don't need you. I don't need you to get a job, I don't need you to become CEO, I don't need you to be CEO or COO anymore. I can do this myself."

Besides waiting to get married, many new trends have emerged among single women.