Are you taken?

[flower07]

The subject says it all! Hey, hold on! I am not here in search of a partner or something Lol
I just wanted to know if you are in love or engaged or married already?

If you are married, I have a question to you. How do you feel being a married woman/man?

I hail from India and as per our country's culture and tradition, most of the people in here will have an arranged marriage. My parents have started looking a groom for me and I am so thrilled about it Lol

How does marriages happen in your country? I guess in some of the countries, even getting married is not that vital. The girlfriend and boyfriend can live together as long as they are ok with each other. Isn't it?

[Di]

For people (I will take a wild guess here and say) anyone over 40-50 years old will say that a BF/GF living together is "shacking up", some consider themselves as being in "domesticated partnership" or "common law" marriage, others are married with the entire wedding and so on. This is in the states that is.

[flower07]

Dj,

I suppose, even getting married does not guarantee that the couple will be together for a long time, Yeah? Not trying to be a pessimist, just wanted to know... say for instance if the couples feel that they are not ok with each after the marriage, they themselves decide upon their divorce and they are cool with that. But that is totally not the case in India. Parents are involved in each and everything Lol It is kind of annoying at times but still these stuffs runs in the blood so I just can not complain about it

I always wished I was born somewhere in the UK/USA. I love both UK and USA for some reasons. Hoping to settle down in Canada with my would be sooner

[Di]

For the states that do allow common law marriage once you separate, you need to go through a legal divorce to end it, esp. if there are children involved.

Alabama
Colorado
Georgia (if created before 1/1/97)
Idaho (if created before 1/1/96)
Iowa
Kansas
Montana
New Hampshire (for inheritance purposes only)
Ohio (if created before 10/10/91)
Oklahoma (possibly only if created before 11/1/98. Oklahoma's laws and court decisions may be in conflict about whether common law marriages formed in that state after 11/1/98 will be recognized.)
Pennsylvania (if created before 1/1/05)
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Utah
Washington, D.C.

[Watari]

For people (I will take a wild guess here and say) anyone over 40-50 years old will say that a BF/GF living together is "shacking up", some consider themselves as being in "domesticated partnership" or "common law" marriage, others are married with the entire wedding and so on. This is in the states that is.

Exactly. Here in California its more common to see partners living together without being officially married.

They actually just passed a law to legalize gay marriages in the state of California, and yet, the majority of the state is against it. Unfortunately for them, with the upcoming vote in the next few months, there will be a decision on the ballet for voters to decide whether or not to keep it legal. If i remember correctly, the future for all those married in-between the this small grace period until the elections may be in jeopardy. Will they be able to remain married?

[Ashley]

It is a lot more common to see people living together than actually married in my area. I live with my boyfriend right now, and have for about a year.

[deedee]

My hubby and I lived together for a year before we got married.  We just figured we would get a tax break if we got hitched! (Just kidding all!)  In all seriousness, it is just about everywhere.

[Ashley]

My boyfriend has seriously considered the whole marriage thing ever since he found out he would get a break on car insurance.... lol

[Di]

Don't worry J, thats how most males think.

[Ashley]

I'm sure his reasons include love too.

[Di]

Its possible. Really though, if you do the car insurance deal as a wed couple most others places will take that into account and you could save on other stuff too - worth a check out.

[Ashley]

AAA definitely gives a discount, and I'm sure a lot of other things do too. I should check into that a bit more.

[Deana]

I am married and have been for 4 years.  This is my 3rd marriage so I may not be an expert on the subject.  I am beginning to think that maybe marriage is just not for me.  I love my husband of course, but I am just not cut out for this. 

[lighterfluid]

Hi, I am 41 and I lived with my second boyfriend for quite a long time, maybe 4 years. Didn't think of it as "shacking up". I think you may be thinking of about 2 generations before you. Maybe someone who is 70 or 80 right now (I'm thinking of my own very conservative parents. My parents were in their 30's when they had children). I have been married for almost 11 years to the third boyfriend and have had two children with him. It has not been easy, but for some crazy reason, it's better now than it ever has been. I highly recommend couple, single and group therapy, self help books, transformation courses, any kind of education to get you through the challenges. I think you must be willing to introspect and work on yourself to make your marriage and your relationship with your children to be satisfying. Unless you were fortunate enough to have come from a really happy, functional family already and all those behaviors and ways of being are already second nature for you.

[Fuchie]

Taken? not yet but I sure do hope someone takes me pretty soon. 'May I have This Hand In Marriage' gosh those words would just bring instant music to my ears, only it must be coming from the right person, you know that special someone.

Marriage as it is in my country is taken very seriously, however there are lots of common law relationships that is, the same as "shacking up". People will live together for years and even die and never get married. There is also the other extreme where teenagers as young as eighteen and nineteen years of that will get married, however this usually happens if the persons are religious.