In the past when people fell in love they usually courted one another or dated for awhile and then would become engaged, and would finally marry. This has been accepted as the standard for a very long time but now we are living in a much more liberal society where marriage and relationships are concerned and many are questioning if love and marriage always have to go together. Some find that they want marriage while others find that they can enjoy the love without having the marriage.

Some Want the Legality of Marriage Many say the reason that you get married is to "make it legal" but others say that marriage is nothing more than a piece of paper saying that you belong to one another. It's true, when you are in a relationship that is bound together by a legal marriage little may actually change about the relationship other than a piece of paper that says that you are legally married. But, some like the idea that they are bound together legally. Some couples feel as though making it legal is making a statement to the world that they are ready to take that step because they know that they are right together while others simply like the security in knowing that someone cannot simply just walk away from the relationship. Making a relationship legal is a show of solidarity to some, while others believe that it cheapens their relationship.

Tradition Rings True Many men and women simply want to stick with tradition. They meet, they fall in love, they want to be together, so they get married and that makes sense to them. There is nothing wrong with keeping with tradition if it makes sense to you and to a lot of people they simply continue with what their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents all did. It's not about legality as much as it is about societal standards and what you do when you love someone.

It Doesn't Have to Be That Way Many couples are proving that love and marriage do not always have to go hand in hand. While some like the idea of making it legal and like to carry on with family tradition, others don't like the idea of marriage and traditions and they do away with them. There are millions of couples living together right now that are happy and in love and simply feel no need to prove those things with a wedding or a marriage. It works for them, and their relationship will likely last as long as those that get married. There are many couples out there that never get married and stay together, faithfully, all of their lives.

Marriage and love do not have to go together, there are examples everywhere you look. Whether you get married is really a personal preference, as it doesn't change the relationship. It just changes the legal status. If tradition and legal status are important to you, than a marriage is called for and can be a very special thing. If you are happy with your relationship the way it is and you see no need, then carry on! To each his own! Love is a very individual experience, and so too is the need to get married.