Why are you married?

Because we love each other and because of the legal and financial protections that marriage brings. No, I don't feel in any way superior to anyone not married or not in a relationship.

We had children, it seemed prudent for financial security as I was a SAHM.

The usual reasons. We live each other. We wanted legal protections and for our children to have that security too. An unexpected post Brexit bonus was that it was easy for him to get settled status, despite already living here for 25 years at that stage, there was a point when we worried what would happen to him.

Being ablw to get married was a battle hard won over almost 70 years, I wasn’t going to let the people down who fought a long hard battle when I had the opportunity to marry my husband. I would have still married him if it didn’t bring any legal protection and wasn’t a legalised recognised ceremony in the same way.

Where we live now there is less need to marry to gain legal protection etc, but it’s still something we would have both done. I do wear a ring, but as I’m Sikh I wear it on my right hand, so most people won’t even realise its a wedding ring.

It meant when we were married we jointly owned anything, so there was no need to keep assests in one persons name in the case of a split etc. There is no way I would have put him on the mortgage/deeds to my home without being married to him, and he rightly felt the same about his own property.

It was important to my husband. I really wasn't bothered.

It's a tradition going back thousands of years and a sign of commitment. Some people like wearing them and others don't. I don't think strangers knowing your marital status is much of an issue in this day and age

Got married 34 years ago because we wanted to. We wanted the legal commitment.

Well, I suppose that depends which films or television dramas you're watching, doesn't it? 🤷‍♀️

Agreed.
Also, love aside, spouses have more legal rights in most parts of the world, compared to co-habiting couples. Nothing to 'feel superior' about. It's just the law.
I'm foreign and have worked in big corporations which move people about, so maybe this doesn't apply to the average UK citizen.
But visas, immigration, repatriation, relocation packages etc usually include spouses, without question. Not always long-term partners. Even if you have children.

Marriage is effectively a contract between two people, with the State as a third party enforcer. You are telling the Government that you're in a committed partnership with the other person.

Not sure of your age to know how much older than me you may be (or may not be) I’m 40, my partner is 38, we have been together 11 years in July, we have 4 kids together and I have one from a previous relationship, we get married on our 11 year anniversary, this is because we love each other, no other reason, bonus though I will have the same last name as 4 of my kids and my oh

Do you struggle with understanding the difference between real life and tv? Don’t you have actual friends, married or cohabiting, whom you could ask?

Your posts are strange, OP. Read up on the legal protections that the legal contract gives. The rings are exchanged during the ceremony as symbols.
It's neither conservative nor the opposite, it's a contract.

Because of the way we felt (and still feel) about each other. We wanted to make a formal commitment - only a very small ceremony in a register office - our choice. Now been married 50 years.
One son married, the other with his partner - not married. We regard both 'other halves' as our daughters.

What a bizarre thread.

Now I'm confused. Should I be wearing a wedding ring or not?

We're not married because of reasons.

We're not really young though.

We just don't want to, what other people do is fine.

I've become someone's best man this year, which I feel slightly weird about 😅

Omg. You're right. Your insight has made me realise I agreed to marry dh because I was insecure and I now feel vastly superior to unmarried couples.
I'd love to hear more of your wisdom

@MonsteraMama

kindly, you might like to persuade your DPs that life will be a lot easier and financially richer for them , or at least whichever is the longer liver partner, if they get married. ( because presumably they are in their seventies? )

Perhaps you should stop confusing film and television with real life, then. 🙂

I changed my name because I hated my dadt name, and I wanted the same name as my daughter. But they were all very specific reasons.

Finances, tax and immigration. I don't wear a ring and didn't change my name.

You're trolling us now, aren't you? FYI I don't wear a wedding ring, as metal jewellery of any sort (or bands; not sure why you corrected yourself there) brings my skin out in a nasty rash. And why should I worry myself whether or not strangers are aware what my marital status is? They're strangers.

No, am not remotely conservative. But it makes sense to protect yourself. You should be thinking in those terms tbh. Not in terms of what it looks like.

OP I have experienced the 'smug marrieds' as being married often confers privilege. Most people are unaware of their privilege so are not going to acknowledge it.