What does marriage mean to you ?

[Lardlizard]

Just own own personal view of it

Did you mean the relationship? Standing shoulder to shoulder. Trust. Working together for the same goals.

Or the institution? For me, it was a necessity to be allowed to live in the same country. But felt fine with the idea of a very strong public commitment anyway, not least in view of future children.

For everyone? No, I really don't think so. Public monogamy doesn't suit everyone, and even with the best intentions a good relationship isn't something one person can achieve- it takes two to tango.

It's something I am not prepared to even consider.

An unfair contract which punishes those who own assets, and rewards those who own none.

A contract. Nothing romantic about it.

Comfortably living with the person who loves me best in the whole world and who is my rock and best friend. No one - including my parents and DC - have ever loved me as unconditionally as DH does. It was eye-opening after a shit first marriage. And I was very lucky to spend lockdown with him.

I was actually thinking about this today as we have two kids and have just drawn down our mortgage but are not married and this seems to be a big no no from MN.
For a lot, marriage seems to be about security moneywise but for me it's about choosing to spend the rest of my life with dp. I dont need him for financial security and can manage fine on my own, but just prefer not to.

Legal contract. The rest can be achieved without marriage (team work, etc)

No tax due on transfers between spouse , even IHT.

Partnership, teamwork, love through actions. A safe haven.

For me personally, an excellent way to potentially lose half the assets I’ve acquired so far when it doesn’t work out, which it doesn’t a significant proportion of the time.

More generally, I think it’s a valuable legal contract, the significance and fundamentals of which I think many people forget because it’s become synonymous with the modern idea of marriage being about romance.

It's a way to be each others number 1. In the higher earner and came with assets. DH is who I want them to go to should anything happen to me.

Commitment.

For better for worse....

A dangerous way of being tied to someone, difficult to get out of and not recommended for me as I have homes/assets/pension I don't want to lose half of.

A written declaration. I declared my commitment and it was important to me to do that. To go as far as I can go to declare to the other 6, 7, or eventually 9 billion of people on this world that this relationship is important to me.

It isn't necessary to marry. It is a only a choice. People can make the same commitment I do whether they are married or not.

We just like it and still do.

Total head fuck

A loving partnership

My marriage means the world to me, my husband is literally my other half. We're so happy and feel beyond lucky to have found each other.

You signed a bit of paper, and spent a fortune. It's a bit of a weird tradition that we all have.

30 years on -companionship and mutual support.

30 years back I was genuinely blown away by the spirituality of the service and the promises made before God — and I had a prenup-

It ruined my early 20s. Pushed into marrying someone because everyone liked him. Regretted it on my wedding day. He wasn’t abusive but it wasn’t a great relationship.
Took me 5 years to leave and I feel like I missed out on a lot. Been with my wonderful OH for almost 5 years now and would never consider marriage again.

The first time - a way to prove that I was a grown up. Guess how that went?

The second time - a practical decision that we are different but overall we make each others lives better. I am a better human being because of my husband. At the point we got married I did not expect that we would be parents but there is no one else that I would rather parent with.

Some back stories to a lot of these replies........

I'm with peakotter : "Commitment. For better for worse...."

and Odile13 : "A loving partnership" to which I might add, equal and respectful.

A union with a man I love, building our life together, security, communication, understanding, romance and knowing we can count on each other. Married nearly 18 years

Easiest and cheapest way to make sure my next of kin was my partner...very small ceremony

We have been v happily together for very many years and a potentially life changing health scare gave us a wake up call. Both romantically and legally. At the second attempt this year we managed to get married a month ago. It was lovely though we were both a bit surprised that it actually feels different and better in a good way. Complete is probably the best description.