Some may wonder what is marriage? To some marriage means belonging to one person and one person only.  Others look at marriage as something much more sacred that just belonging, it is when it brings two souls together as one.  Marriage might mean that they finally just can’t live without the other in their life and want to spend every minute of the rest of their lives together.

What is marriage and how is it different from the past? Today marriage is different from what it used to be like. Long ago getting married meant getting married at a young age, or saving your virginity until marriage. Today, you may wait until your 30 or 40s before ever attempting to tie the knot. As for being a virgin, most people are no longer virgins before they wed, but there are still some virgin brides. The courtships seem to last many years before you actually set a date and marry. Young lovers want to know they can live together and see what marriage will be like, they want to make sure they’ve finished college and started jobs.

What is marriage like with and without religion? This can be different for many people, if you’ve grown up with religion in your home and it was a very big deal it still will be and it is something you’ll definitely want in your marriage. However for those that never grew up with it they may not see the importance of having religion in the marriage or even in their life. Make sure you know what type of person you are marrying; if this is a key thing it will become a big issue for the wedding and after. Before getting married many may have a different view on the type of wedding ceremony you have. Someone may want a catholic wedding while others may think a protestant wedding is best, to avoid all conflict one may even choose not to have any type of religion at their wedding. If you plan on having a religious ceremony make sure you follow all procedures, sometimes a priest will want to meet with the happy couple for counseling before ever performing the wedding.

What is marriage like when it is legal? Some couples wonder if they should even make their marriage legal or just stay living together. To some marriage is only something that is a piece of paper saying they are legally together. For those they may not want to have just a paper to tell them how important it is, especially if they’ve already lived together for a few years. In a few states, couples that live together a certain amount of time, normally seven years or more, are considered to have a common law marriage. A marriage that is legal is one that is performed by a minister or someone that is qualified to perform the ceremony. Once the ceremony is complete the bride and groom will sign a piece of paper and a few weeks later get a certificate in the mail, in the meantime you will be given a document to show proof of marriage.

So before you think about marriage think about what is marriage. You don’t want to jump into a marriage because you thought marriage meant one thing and ended up being something entirely different, that’s where divorce ends up coming in. Think long and hard about what is marriage and what it means to you.  Don’t forget to ask your loved one what is marriage to them. You wouldn’t want to find out the two of you have different views on marriage.  Make your marriage a lasting one, after all that’s  what is marriage, one that lasts forever.