It is such a shame, really. I live in the UK and my wife is Armenian. There have been many times where we would have liked to go to France, or Holland, or Germany, for a long weekend. Likely spending hundreds of pounds as tourists. Yet the absurd process and cost for her is just not worth it, so we don't go, and the tourism economy suffers. I will never understand how the visa nonsense got so out of control, and continues to do so. Truly one of the more illogical rules in existence.
--EDIT-- I will add that it wouldn't be so bad if we could go through the process once every couple years or so and get a multiple entry Shengen visa - but that would make too much sense and be too easy, so you need to provide the paperwork, pay the fee, and wait 2 to 4 weeks, every time for a single entry. Crazy bullshit.
Are you a British citizen? It is not well known (including by officials and airlines) you have the right that your wife can join you on your travels. As an Armenian citizen she needs a visa but that has to be provided free of charge and under an accelerated procedure (often it takes under 24 hours). You do not need to go through the otherwise required visa agencies and they cannot ask for documents other than passports and the marriage certificates – although they often do if you don't insist. Theoretically it can even be applied for directly at the border but that might be a bit stressful.
The US is actually worse. I've been here 8 years and I'm not even a little bit closer than I was 8 years ago, to permanent residence let alone citizenship.
I have a six figure salary. I should probably just get married.
That's a long and expensive process. There seems to be a common belief that it's more or less automatic once you're married, but that's far from true in most countries, the US and UK included.
It will probably make it more difficult to go to the country where she was born. This is a problem if she wants to go back quickly, for example when someone there is sick.
--EDIT-- I will add that it wouldn't be so bad if we could go through the process once every couple years or so and get a multiple entry Shengen visa - but that would make too much sense and be too easy, so you need to provide the paperwork, pay the fee, and wait 2 to 4 weeks, every time for a single entry. Crazy bullshit.