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 But it's obviously argued that it's a bit of an outdated institution now.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'?

For some reason, the line “let no man put asunder” took on a massive significance. Illogically, because we had a civil ceremony so it wasn’t even said. But it became really important to me that there was something that said, incontrovertibly, that we are a unit and can’t be divided. And it has made a difference to our relationship, I think it has made both of us quicker to let little arguments go, admit that we were unreasonable, that kind of thing. Not that everything is always amazing, but a sense of, we said in front of everyone that this is more important than anything else, so we’ll keep it that way.

Ok last post I promise! ... also, if something medical was to happen to either of us, we thought it important that the other person is legally next of kin, and has the final say in any matters.

For us, this was so so important.

Like @Doobigetta said , that sense that we are an indivisible team, us against the world, we got each others back thing , is also amazing

Because we loved each other and wAnted to build a life together and have children. We wanted to be each other's next of kin to do that for emotional and practical legal reasons.

Our relationship changed after we were married in that now we felt like each other's immediate family unit and it's a lovely secure feeling.

Because I was (am) completely and utterly head over heels in love with my husband and I wanted to be his wife.

winter whilst your spouse is generally your next of kin, it isn't a legal term. You can nominate anyone to be your next of kin.

We had to so we could live together. My husband is from outside the EU.

Same as shutling and others, the legality before having DC.

Plus I live in DH"s country, I'd be tremendously dopey to not to get married.

Plus love n stuff

We got married because we wanted to be more than partners. We had been partners for nearly 10 years, have a child together and wanted to be even more to each other. It might just be a piece of paper to some people, but it means a lot to us to be able to call each other husband and wife.

I was and still am in love with my husband and wanted to make a commitment to him for the rest of my life. Then I wanted to raise children in a stable relationship with all the legal ties and benefits that comes with it.

For the visas. It's our 20th anniversary this year.

We'd been happily unmarried to one another for over 20 years, and I was really not keen on marriage -- he'd proposed and I'd said no more than once. Then a logistical issue came up which was most easily and cheaply solved by marrying, so we did, very quickly and quietly, and not telling anyone else for a year or more. I imagine a lot of friends and more distant family don't know we're married. Hasn't changed anything, and as the reason no longer pertains, we could get divorced, I suppose.

Because we wanted to. Didn’t want to be ‘partners’ forever, wanted to actually be married. Not dissing those who are partners and who will not marry, but for us and our relationship, we wanted to be married.

I quite like being married.

We just wanted the party! And it was such a big, beautiful, mind-blowing day. And followed by an incredible honeymoon. I don't think either of us felt any huge sense of commitment from the ceremony. That had come previously without any fanfare.

Inheritance tax
Pensions
Next of kin

No rings, no name changes, no joint bank accounts. Just a legal agreement to be contractually obligated. Would have had a civil partnership were they available for heterosexual couples.

Outdated institution now

Says who?

So outdated there has just been a decade of campaigning for same sex marriage?

So outdated that around a quarter of a million people do it each year and the industry is worth millions?

Marriage rates have declined for a plethora of reasons. "Outdated" isn't one of them.

Purely for romantic reasons, not for money or security, we just felt so in love, and still do, that we wanted to be ‘family’, I love being married and everything that comes with it, being called ‘Mrs’, calling DH ‘my husband’, I love that we share the same surname, being married has made us feel even closer, we are a team, and we are equal in every way. Being married has really changed both of us, we feel more grounded, more settled and ‘solid’. Yes of course marriage isn’t a cast iron guarantee of eternal happiness, but I’m a positive thinking person and feel that this is it, forever.

Immigration reasons. It wasn't the main reason, obviously, but it certainly made it easier. My dh and I lived on opposite sides of the world for 2 years before we got married while we tried to sort out a visa for one of us to move to live permanently with the other. I wanted permanence and security of marriage and the symbolism of it, but certainly it made my immigration case much more straightforward than going via any other route.

I love being married and everything that comes with it, being called ‘Mrs’, calling DH ‘my husband’

Why? Is your husband gutted not to have a title which announces his marital status?

I love that we share the same surname, being married has made us feel even closer, we are a team, and we are equal in every way.

Did you choose a new surname together? Do you believe you aren’t a team if you don’t have the same name?

Plus we wanted a huge wedding with all our friends and family celebrating with us! It was an incredibly beautiful day!!

PoutySprout wind your neck in

Because I love him and wanted to be married as I feel it joins you together and is a statement of love.

I love being married and I’m an old romantic that wanted the wedding as did dh

I was with DH for six years before we got married. I was happy to stay unmarried before we had kids, but as soon as we started thinking about kids I wanted to have the financial protection of marriage (as I gave up work for a few years to look after them). Also I wanted to be part of a family unit and share the same surname.

I don’t think marriage is an outdated institution at all. Nearly all my friends are married.

Wanted to be married before having children. I’m a solicitor so aware of legal differences between marriage and living together. I don’t even do family law work but have come across several cases where client was in a shitty position due to not being married. I’m also traditional and liked the one family unit idea.
Small civil wedding, reception at home arranged in under 3 months to tie in with existing pre booked holiday that became the honeymoon. Dress cost £60.

We wanted to live together, but I wouldn't do that before I married, so he proposed, I realise now I am not a naive 20 year old that he couldn't afford the mortgage on his own We are still together though, 30 years later so we did the right thing I think.