What does marriage mean to you?

I may be wrong, but a common-law marriage is where a couple have lived together for a specific period of time, and after that point they are granted certain legal benefits and whatnot that are otherwise enjoyed by married couples. I welcome correction from those who understand this better.

 

Sounds quite right
Here rights and obligations of couples (partners) officially living together in the same household are the same as are those of married people. In case of any legal dispute/litigation the same laws apply as well.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?
I am married, for the second time. My first marriage ended in divorce when my first wife cheated on me while I was in the armed forces and deployed overseas. My second wife and I lived together for several years and married when she became pregnant (LOL, her doctor told her she was "sterile" and couldn't have children. Oops!) We married at the court house, and didn't even have a witness. I asked a guy in line behind us to be our witness. It was funny, even then. We have been married over thirty years. So far.


2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?
I think so, yes. It is a formal declaration of commitment, sort of like raising your hand and swearing to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God." Honest people feel obligated to honor that. Liars and cheats don't. Another example is the "oath of office" soldiers and public servants take. I swore an oath to "defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." That oath is still in effect, and is as valid today as the day I took it when I joined the Marines. Most former Marines I know feel the same way, and keep a rifle and ammunition on hand, "just in case." Anybody that tries to subvert liberty in the United States is in for a big shock.

3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?
To me, actually being married is a much more serious commitment than just living together. It's a complicated thing, part romance, part business contract. Married people face the world and its problems together, as a single unit, a family. We share everything. What's mine is hers, what's hers is mine. We have one bank account, we share credit cards, ownership of everything--cars, house, etc.--50/50. You know the drill--"for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." It's you and me, baby, come what may.


4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?
I've done that a couple of times, when I was young. It just doesn't feel permanent TO ME. It feels sort of conditional and temporary, compared to marriage. And it feels pretty easy to bail out when things get tough. I don't think my wife and I are going to be bailing on this marriage anytime soon. We've been through a lot of shit together, like two old soldiers. We trust one another.
I don't look down on people who just live together. Their choices are their own, but I don't know. I wouldn't live that way now.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?
I'm not married and I am not sure if I would marry. I don't know if I believe in the value of marriage.

2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?
I think marriage shouldn't change a relationship, but I think that often it does.. A lot of times, married people seem to take each other for granted, and stop making an effort. Also, many married women forget about themselves and their careers for the good of the family and because they feel safe, which is not ok, since so many marriages end in divorce.

3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?
Yes

4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?
No different from those who do marry in my opinion.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?

Yes, I am married and have been with my husband almost 15 years.
I was with my ex husband for almost 10 years.

2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?

Absolutely! How it changes the relationship really depends on the people involved. Marrying my husband changed our relationship in good ways, for the most part. We both felt closer and more invested in our relationship. However, with my ex husband, when we got married he suddenly thought he owned me. So, yeah, things will change. How they change is up to you and your partner.

3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?

No, not really. While I do not doubt the seriousness of committed partnership, it isn't quite the same as marriage. In a marriage, walking away when things don't work out isn't typically as easy of just saying "We're through!" and leaving. Marriages often involve joint accounts, debt etc that many "live in relationships" don't have. Those are just a couple of examples.

4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?

It is entirely there choice. I don't believe people 'need' to get married, it is a choice.

 

i don't believe in marriage.

most either fail, or end up losing all it's happiness.
someone may cheat or both parties are just distant and miserable.

i never want to put myself through that..

it's a fate worse than death.

 

means to share your feelings to each other with great understanding and perfaction.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?
I am currently married and I married my wife because I love her and wanted to share life with her.
2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?
Our relationship was changed in several ways. Once we got married we stopped being quite so nice to each other and slowly it devolved into the thing it is now. All ways are encompassed within this explanation but I'd rather not go into a detailed talk.
3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?
I do not believe that it is the same, when a couple marries they are commiting themselves 100% into their spouses care and trust. As a commited partner it isn't quite the same. But having never been a commited partner I don't know if it could be, perhaps?
4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?
I see absolutly nothing wrong with it. In fact I think that it can be a great way to do a relationship depending on how it goes.

 

If love is true it will find an way no paper can hold two persons together who weren't meet to spend their life with each other

 

i got married as a bond with my lover as partners in life.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?
I would like to be married at this point, I don't mean today and I'm not looking for someone to marry but when I am in a relationship and you get to that point where it's like "what's next?" for me the what's next is marriage or not. That has changed a lot for me in the past 10 years, I was completely against it 10 years ago.
2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?
I think it does but I can't put an exact description of why into words. Some people on this thread have said things I agree with in regards to things being more secure and having an official vow means something to some people. Of course not everyone sees marriage in the same way so it may not change anything for some people. I think there are people who really don't take it seriously.

3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not? To me it doesn't mean the same thing.
4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry? I think it's a personal choice, but I also think that sometimes do this even though one or the other partner would like to marry but they are just not on the same page.

 

Much of the that can be said about any committed relationship. A couple doesn't need to be married for someone to cheat, or to end up distant and miserable. There are no absolutes. What happens in any relationship depends entirely on the people involved in it, not a piece of paper. I have known countless non-married couples who cheat, and end up miserable with their partner. So, if you don't want a fate worse than death, you may have to avoid a long term relationship.

 

I've done it both ways, and it made no difference to me. I would have been happy just living with my guy permanently, but local laws made doing that complicated and inconvenient in a variety of ways. Most of those state laws were aimed at making life miserable for gay couples, but they had the same impact on me. We eventually decided that it was a battle not worth fighting anymore. We didn't change the way that we did things.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?

Sure, if it means a lot to the other person, I don't see the inherent value in it. Nice ring? People buy you tons of stuff?

2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?

For some couples, perhaps. Religious ones. I don't think it should. You ought not need a piece of paper to make your love official. It sort of belittles it, I think. Marriage is an entirely human invention. It's only necessary because we say it is.

3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?

Absolutely. Perhaps even stronger than marriage because the stakes for getting out of the relationship are lower.

4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?

Sort of me, at this point, so I can't judge.

 

Not a whole hell of a lot at the moment since mine is ending in April 2014 after 20 years together. Going forward though....I think marriage is a good practice. It takes commitment to the next level. Promises may be sweet and romantic, but it won't make you WORK hard when the going gets rough.

 

For people who don't believe in marriage, they can have a union just as special as marriage without making it legal. If two people are together and they both don't care about getting married, far be it from me or anyone else to judge them and the bond that they have.

I'm engaged to a wonderful man and since we both strongly want to be married, we believe it will make the relationship stronger. To me, marriage is just another commitment to show how we feel. It's not about anyone else. Just my fiance and I.

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?
I have been married for 27 years, we married each other because we loved and still love each other, not because we had too or that’s the way we were brought up but because we are proud to be married.
2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?
Yes I feel if you are not willing to make the marriage commitment it makes it so much easier to just move out.
3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?
No! Though a committed partnership may be fine for some people, taking the last name of your husband has a very important meaning, the woman is saying she is willing to change for her husband and the man is willing to take on the responsibility to take care and provide for his wife.
4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?
It is there choice and I respect there choice I may not agree with it. The world would be a better place if we all keep more of your opinions to ourselves instead of tell everyone them.

 

I have found this an interesting subject because personally I am at crossroads with my marriage of 30 years, my second. Some interesting keywords have popped out of the discussions: Dedication, Need to change, Honoured both ways, Need to show needs, Show caring, Trust, Humility, Respect but with definition, Affection with definition, Behaviour-Ability to love-Respect-Trust, Commitment, Investment in the relationship. GROW,LEARN,LISTEN. In my case being a workaholic and an athiest, and in her case a convert to Christ its all very hard to consider very few of the keywords to develop a long loving relationship to carry forward for the next 20years.......an interesting subject!!!!

 

1. Are you/were you/would you marry and why?

Nearly two years married. I would think that two people should only do so if they have a connection that they're willing to go up against anything for. A unique connection that they feel they'd never get anywhere else in a million years.

2. Does marriage change a relationship? If so, how?

To some degree, yes. Certainly there are expectations on each side that have to be fulfilled to best of each's ability. Though I must admit that because other factors, it's impossible to say that the changes in my life were due mostly to the marriage itself.

3. Does living together in a committed partnership mean the same as marriage to you or not?


No, not really. Though I believe doing so is a good set up for marriage.

4. What do you think of people who decide to live together but never marry?


Everyone's situation is different. What works for one couple might not work for the other. I have no right to judge.

 

It means that instead of having your love deepen as it blossoms and is meant to be. It becomes a jail of what has to be and if you dent those rules in the slightest you have fostered mistrust in each other and your intimacy hits the breaks. Love free from concern for offense continues to flower in intensity beyond our current understanding but for the ersatz loveless robot of brute and unhelpful conditions like divorce and family misery of all kinds. Any civil authority that exists today is a mind fuck and a deceit of you dignity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAGxjOr3vYA