Marriage: I do or I don't???

Marriage:

1.the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.
2. the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock: a happy marriage.
3. the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of a man and woman to live as husband and wife, including the accompanying social festivities: to officiate at a marriage.
4. a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction: trial marriage;
5. any close or intimate association or union: the marriage of words and music in a hit song.
6. a formal agreement between two companies or enterprises to combine operations, resources, etc., for mutual benefit; merger.

Peace -

I went to a wedding this Past weekend. It was beautiful and sweet and really nice to see the two people so happy and in love. And it got me to thinking... do I want this? The dress... the reception... the BILL at the end of it all??? While I am sure that my parents would love that for me... perhaps in my jaded view of things, I never thought it would happen for me and thus refined my thought of what MY marriage would be.

Do we go by the above definition of legalities or of the pledge between two people? I myself have learned never to just take someone's word for it. We must SHOW AND PROVE our commitment. Just because someone signs their honorable name to legal document and gets you a 3 carat ring does NOT mean that they will keep their word nor that it will last. It means that it will be THAT much harder to get rid of that muh-(bleep)...oh... woops. LOL. (Thanks OT Sensors).

Mind you the ceremony part is nice and the gathering of friends and family however - we could do that anytime with OUT the legalities correct? OR is the lack of security for individuals whom are NOT your spouse so great... that we are forced into this notion of what MUST be done in order to protect our families?

There is also the common-law spouse in some states...

common-law marriage
–noun
a marriage without a civil or ecclesiastical ceremony, generally resulting from an agreement to marry followed by the couple's living together as husband and wife.


If you reside with the individual for several years or more then you are considered to be husband and wife.

But what if your desire is not to reside with each other but just be together for yeaars? Are we any less commited? Those nights for XY and Z years that I wiped your nose and used my trusty tussin remedy doesn't count because I didn't come home to you everynight? Because I can only deal with you for 4 nights out of the week - before I want to be somewhere where I don't fall in the toilet in the middle of the night because you forgot to put the seat down... AGAIN... - that makes our years of commitment... less important then the married couple? Emphatically NO!!!

Let me know what you think!!! I thank you and appreciate your responses.

Peace

Q. Civilized Zag