The benefits and value of marriage have been fiercely debated over the past few decades. From discarding it as an archaic institution to fretting over rising divorce rates, cynics have had more than a few reasons to question the purpose of marriage today. However, if you have the right reasons for marriage at heart, it can prove to be the most fulfilling and rewarding relationship you’ll ever foster.
So, before you say ‘I Do’ – or even before you pop the question or say yes – take a moment to reflect on your reasons for getting married.
10 Bankable Reasons For Getting Married
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Christy felt she had found ‘the one’ when she met Richard. The two fell in love, and the two transitioned from dating to being in a relationship quickly. She always felt as if they belonged together. After having been with each other for more than five years, they now have the ‘where is this going?’ question staring them in the face.
Christy says, “I dread that Richard is walking around with a ring in his pocket and may pop the question any time. Don’t get me wrong. I love him and want to be with him for the rest of my life, but I don’t know if marriage is the way for us as a couple.”
She could not decide whether there were any good enough reasons for marriage when what they already had seemed so perfect. So, the two sought premarital counseling to decide whether or not tying the knot will be the right decision for them.
Thanks to counseling, they zeroed in on 10 reasons to get married that helped them make up their minds about taking the plunge:
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1. It’s a celebration of your love
Being in love has remained one of the top reasons for marriage. But the converse is also equally true. The purpose of marriage today – and always – is also to celebrate your love for each other. It’s definitely one of the more romantic reasons to marry and 9 in 10 Americans consider love the primary reason to get married according to this survey.
Having your closest friends and family witness this celebration of love, and signing documents that officially tie you to each other, somehow makes your relationship stronger. This is something that simply cannot be replicated when you’re living together.
2. The promise of a longer, happier life
No, we are not giving you biblical reasons for marriage when we say marriage increases happiness quotient and longevity. Research has consistently established that married people lead happier and longer lives than those who are never married, or are divorced or widowed.
For instance, research by Harvard found that married people maintain healthier lifestyles, eat better, take fewer risks, seek regular medical attention, which ultimately improves their health and longevity as compared to their unmarried counterparts.
Despite this truly being one of the logical reasons to get married, of course, not all marriages are created equal. Only a happy marriage can bring you health and happiness. That’s why the reasons for marriage play a crucial role in determining what the future of your marital journey holds.
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3. It makes you more secure
When we asked Jillian the question, ‘Why do you want to get married?’ she had one plain answer to give us. Jillian told us, “Hearing the words ‘in sickness and in health’, ‘for better or for worse’, ‘till death do us part’ at the altar makes it more than just about religious reasons for marriage. They do lend an added layer of security to your relationship.”
And that definitely makes it one of the top 10 reasons to get married. You know that no matter how sick or ill-disposed you are, you will now have a partner who will love and cherish you irrespective of the circumstance. Or that, when your relationship hits troubled waters, you will both try a little harder to work through your issues and make things work.
4. You solidify your trust and commitment
Romantic love is essentially made up of four key components – attraction, interest, trust, and commitment. Without trust and commitment, attraction and interest in each other cannot be sustained. They fade away with time, slowly but surely. So, if you want to keep yourselves really tethered, marriage can do the job for you.
One of the positive reasons for marriage is that it solidifies your trust and commitment toward each other as well as your relationship. When you feel a sense of being bound to the other person, you feel a much larger need to prove your love to them. That, in turn, improves the odds of partners sticking together for a lifetime.
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5. You have a partner for life
If you’re looking for the top 10 reasons to get married, this has to be one of the frontrunners. Marriage gives you a partner with whom you can share every aspect and detail of your life – no matter how big or small, nasty or beautiful. They’ve seen you at your best and they’ll always also be there with you through your worst. In a good marriage, there are no lonely days!
From sharing stresses of work, finances, and relationships to talking your problems through and working out recovery plans, marriage gives you a partner for life, a mate who will always be on your team. So, even if you’re not entirely convinced or in love, this could be one of the practical reasons to get married. Know that a good marriage is not only about love but about finding companionship in a partner.
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6. A whole new level of intimacy
Another one of the positive reasons for marriage is that it cultivates a level of intimacy that remains largely unmatched in any other type of relationship. You not only get to see each other at your highest highs and lowest lows but also become a part of one another’s journeys. That cements your bond like nothing else can.
Just a look at your spouse’s face is enough to tell you what’s going on in their mind. You can tell they’ve had a bad day at work if they reach for a beer first thing after getting home. Or that they’re in the mood for some action if they’re looking at you in a certain way. That closeness itself is so special that one doesn’t even need 10 reasons to get married.
This silent language is unique to couples who have been together a long time, and marriage gives you just that.
7. It makes financial sense
If you and your partner are living together and contemplating whether or not to tie the knot, you must factor in the aspect of financial stability. Maybe marriage seems like a massive label to the two of you right now and you’re worried that such a taut commitment might just make your relationship go downhill. But financial security is one of the 10 reasons to get married and has benefits you cannot deny.
The combined income of both spouses can make you eligible for better mortgage rates, credit scores, interest rates on auto and home insurance. You can not only share Social Security benefits but also get access to better health insurance cover at cheaper rates. In addition to that, you can save on taxes and diversify your retirement options.
Just because you’re considering practical reasons to get married does not mean that your relationship is transactional or your reasons for marriage are any less valid than two people doing it solely for love. Want to solve your money issues? Then consider this one of the right reasons to get married legally.
8. You can build a more secure life
When asked, ‘Why do you want to get married?’, Jeff’s answer really got us thinking. He said to us, “By allowing you to cut back on your expenditures and optimize your savings, marriage sets you up for building a more secure life with your significant other. This is undoubtedly one of the logical reasons to get married.”
In the book, Phoenix Rising: The Rise and Fall of the American Republic, Donald G Lett writes that an average married couple has assets worth nearly $410,000 around the time of retirement, as compared to $154,000 in case of divorced and $167,000 for those who have never been married. And so it became clear to us that Jeff’s right.
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9. Your children grow up in a more stable environment
If you want to have children at some point, getting married can give them a more stable home environment to grow up in. There is a mountain of research and data pointing to the fact that children born and raised in a home with both parents are more likely to grow up to be well-adjusted adults. A study enumerated in this article points to the fact that a child in a stable single-parent household performs worse than the child of a married couple.
Moreover, children with single parents experience complex living arrangements and disruptions. For instance, the parent marrying someone else in the future and the complex equation of the spouse with stepchildren or children having to live with relatives if the parent is unable to care for them owing to certain circumstances can lead to a host of behavioral and emotional issues.
10. Better, more fulfilling sex life
As opposed to what pop culture and pulp fiction will have us believe, marriage actually promotes a better sex life. And not just because you have unbridled, uninhibited access to sex. One of the top reasons for marriage is also that it improves the quality of your sexual interactions remarkably.
Not only is sex more intimate and fulfilling but you also have all the time in the world to develop deep sexual intimacy. You get to know your partner on a sexual level that casual flings, one-night stands, or even steady relationships cannot match up to.
As long as your reasons for marriage are not fixing your relationship issues, fear of being alone, societal or family pressure, or securing a net of financial safety, there is no cause to worry about whether or not it will be the right step forward for you. If you and your partner truly love each other and want to build a life together, marriage can be the perfect foundation for your happily ever after. With this list of logical reasons to get married, we hope you are able to take the first step towards your married life today.
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