The average cost of a California wedding was $ 41k last year . That ’s dead wild .

Hi, I’m Morgan! I’m a 30-year-old woman, and I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for eight years.

Aside from people asking when we’ll have kids (never as we’rechildfree), the number one question we always hear is when we’ll get married. But we’ve already lived together for seven years, raised a puppy-son we adore, and built a life together. Do we even need to get married? I’m still undecided.

So, I made a list of the pros and cons of marriage to help me with my decision:

Disclaimer : If you ’re happily wed , that ’s awesome ! If you ’re happily single , that ’s also great ! These are just my personal thoughts for my own human relationship .

1.Pro: I’d love to have a wedding.

2.Con: Weddings are EXPENSIVE.

3.Pro: I could add my boyfriend to my healthcare plan.

4.Con: The historical context of marriage leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

5.Pro: It can be a good financial decision.

6.Con: Marriage means giving financial control away.

7.Pro: We’d be able to make medical decisions for each other.

8.Con: Divorce seems really, really hard.

9.Pro: I would have beautiful wedding pictures.

10.Con: If we got married, I don’t know if we’d maintain this feeling of choosing each other every day.

11.Pro: My boyfriend’s family would officially become my family.

12.And finally, con: It’s what everyone expects us to do.

Two people, a woman with long curly hair and a man with short hair and a beard, smile while standing on a city street

A man and a woman sit on rocks at a beach, with the man holding a large dog on a leash. The woman wears a white dress and the man is casually dressed

A joyful couple, bride in a white dress and groom in a blue suit, surrounded by guests throwing flower petals, celebrating their wedding day outdoors

Two men in suits raise their hands in celebration as they walk down an aisle at an outdoor event surrounded by clapping guests

A doctor in a white coat shows a patient in a casual shirt a document, both smiling and discussing the contents, in a professional medical setting

A bride in a wedding dress walks down the aisle with a man in a suit, likely her father, in an outdoor ceremony setting

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A woman is standing indoors, gazing out of a window. She is casually dressed, wearing a light-colored top and a cardigan. The background shows a dining table and modern furnishings

Person lying in a hospital bed, arm visible with an IV drip attached. Picture highlights the importance of health in professional life

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A couple dances outside at sunset, with the woman in a flowing dress and the man in a suit

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