To ask why you got married?

[namechangeo]

So love is the main reason, isn't it? But it's obviously argued that it's a bit of an outdated institution now.

What are the reasons (other than love) that you married? What changes when you're married rather than 'in a relationship'?

We married because we wanted to make an official commitment to each other and make the pledge to share our lives together. Plus, it was also important to us both that we be married before having children.

To put a legal contract in place before having children.

My husband is in the military and because they only work to the 1950s rules it offered us a lot more protection and benefit to be married. We obviously love each other and wanted that commitment but also the military thing contributed. We’re lottlerslly half way between before and after. 10 years together and married for 5.

In terms of our relationship it isn’t much different from pre marriage to be honest but we have gained a lot more help post marriage for which I am grateful for. Weirdly I also like the idea of him being my husband and me being his wife. Each to their own though. My sister isn’t married and isn’t intending to get married and has a great relationship with her partner and beautiful little girl.

Nothing to do with having kids (we don't have them and I don't believe we will)

Nothing to do with financial security (I earn more than him)

Nothing to do with 'Being Mrs Hisname' (I didn't change my surname and title).

For years I really didn't want to get married, asked him never to propose as I'd say no - then I went through an incredibly traumatic period of my life and he was there, by my side - constantly supportive and just absolutely amazing. So I literally had a 'light bulb' moment which was 'Why would I not marry him? I love him, I don't want anyone else, never want to split with him and want to spend the rest of my life with him doing crazy stuff.....'

So I proposed to him with a ring in one hand and a pie in the other and we were married last July

Nothing has changed at all - We still do mad stuff, still enjoying doing the same things we did beforehand. It feels really 'weird' calling him 'Husband', so I don't even really call him that, I am just happy we did it as it was an amazing day and we had all of lovely friends and family with us.

*literally 😳

Also should add that my DH is quite traditional and likes the idea that marriage is traditional.

We wanted to be married before having children. We both come from divorced parents and wantes to form our own little unit.

Legal contract before having children. I was pregnant and my in-laws are evil.

To get a married tax rebate to pay for a new car as DH had just written ours off in an accident! The wedding was us and 2 witnesses, in a registry office, cost £13.50, and we hid the certificate in a drawer and vowed never to speak of it. I’m a feminist and was very anti marriage, DH was a free spirited hippy soul.
It had no effect at all on our relationship- we loved each other to bits right up to his death, at the tragically early age of 36.

Dh and I married because we love each other, and wanted to make an official commitment, with the blessing of the church and the support of all our friends and family.
We were married (at 20) and had children right away , and 20 years plus later, it still proved the right thing for us.
Ironically, I have left religion behind, but feel even stronger in our vows.
We are a pretty old school couple, it works for us

We love each other and wanted to spend our lives together.

We planned children and marriage gives legal protection to both parties.

We wanted to be each other's Next of Kin.

We were buying property and wanted the survivor to not have to deal with inheritance tax if one of us died.

Because I want to be with him forever and because of anything happened to either of us I want the other to have everything we worked for, house, savings, belongings.

There's a complicated bit of mental health law that stipulates if you get sectioned, unless you are married your parents if still alive get to make decisions for you. I have a history of serious mental health issues and my parents are abusive vicious bastards, no way were they going to have any control over my life.

I was on the what’s the point camp. But then my sister started researching our family tree, and was obviously looking at marriage records. I suddenly realised that in a hundred years time, if any of my descendants research me, I really want them to know that DH and I are family, and totally committed to each other, even though we have no joint children. Sounds daft I know, but it feels right that there’s a permanent record that we are a unit.

I'm the least romantic person on earth and haven't ever believed in soul mates or destiny, I simply married him because he makes me happy every day.

Fuck knows, it was a stupid idea.

Because it was important to me to make that commitment publicly and before God (we’re both Christians). Plus we wouldn’t live together outside marriage - which I know a lot of people think is nuts. It worked for us though!

we were about to start fertility treatment and wanted to do this committed as a married couple. We were married in Las Vegas, 3 weeks before our first hospital appt.

Also echo idontbelieveinthemoon - he makes me happy!

I'm sure I read that psychologically and literally it makes it harder to walk away - and tbh when there are kids involved that's a good thing, I feel like we've truly worked through hard times as a team. Knowing that even though things might be shit right now, we are committed to making them better in the long term. I didn't think of it before but I'm also glad now we have children there are certain legal protections. I also wanted DC, DH and I all to have the same surname so we felt like a family unit.

Because we both feel strongly that we want to be married before having children... and we both desperately want to start our family now

We were young and in love
Now we're old and in love

Because he’s one of the best men I’ve ever met and he makes me a better person.

Also due to his job we couldn’t live together or start a family unless we were married.

It was gradual - we gradually started sharing finances. Gradually adopted the mentality of "what's his is mine, what's mine is his". Basically we intertwined our lives without even really realizing it. So then we knew we were ready to get married.

We also wanted to be married before having kids.

I must say, I love being married. Nothing has changed really , but it's just this nice feeling.. best way I can describe it!

Dp and I are getting married this year after 22 years together, no big wedding, won't wear rings, won't change my name (neither will he), it's purely because it will be less complicated to sort out pensions etc should one of us die. Obviously we love each other very much, completely committed to one another and if there was a cheaper, easier way to secure the benefits of marriage without getting married we would probably do that instead, but in terms of the legalities marriage is just more straight forward.

Oh should have added, we had a registry wedding, with 2 witnesses and no rings. We loved it