if their bride is between 15 and 17 years their junior?

1) Does "if their bride is between 15 and 17 years their junior" refer to "if their bride is 15-17 years younger than them (grooms)"?

2) Does "civilly partnered couples" mean "couples who have not married but have a civilized partnership"?


Context:

But the 2011 census found that married and civilly partnered couples make up just 47 per cent of households, down from 51 per cent in 2001.
Any single man wanting to act on the latest findings about the correlation between being alone and dying in middle age might want to consider their choice of partner carefully, however. It has been suggested in one study that a man’s chances of dying early are cut by a fifth if their bride is between 15 and 17 years their junior.


More:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9796903/Stay-single-die-younger-say-scientists.html