LogFAQs > #909950623

The other topic about saving oneself for marriage got me thinking on another related subject.

I have several friends who were more or less unofficially "married" for some number of years before making it official. The most bizarre cases were two separate couples who even bought their houses together before getting married. With my own sister and brother-in-law, he didn't propose until nine years into their relationship.

I don't want to pry too much into their reasons and can understand in some cases the couples really want to make sure he/she is the one but if one is gonna go as far as getting a house together, why wait on doing the civil ceremony? They can always do the wedding ceremony later when they have the time and money. One of my cousins did that where he got married officially but didn't do the wedding ceremony still a year later. Hell, two of my friends even have a business together and they're just waiting on having the time to get married.

If anything, wouldn't they benefit from better tax deductions being an official couple instead of filing as two singles? Though I have been told recently filing as singles is somehow better. Do some couples really want to make sure he/she is the one even after several years? Is there anything particular bad about doing a civil ceremony first and the wedding ceremony later?

Comments and opinions are appreciated,

Thank you
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