I’m 36 and have been with my current girlfriend for almost 5 years now - my longest relationship yet. We live together & everything else couply, just not married. I see marriage as unnecessary pressure that has a tendency to put strain on the relationship. Right now if we’re happy together we stay, if we’re not we split. Simple. Marriage complicates it.
Bingo. This was my take before I met my wife and early in our relationship. When it came time to talk about the future and we discussed marriage I asked what she wanted. For my part, I told her that I didn’t need a piece of paper from the government or a magic ceremony to commit myself to her fully.
She wanted a wedding and marriage and I wanted to give that to her. It was immediate family only, at home, with a retired judge performing a ceremony we wrote.
From a legal perspective it can be immensely more complicated long term and will almost certainly be financially more disadvantageous within the US system if you’re American to not be married.