I have a bit of a different opinion. It doesn't seem like we should ever legal bind ourselves to another human being. If we get married in our 20's or even 30's or 40's, is it really our expectation that we will not grow and change for then next 40, 50, or 60 years? And that our partner will be making similar changes? What are the odds we grow together instead of apart? It happens both ways. But it seems silly to insist that we will still have the same needs and desires decades in the future and that our partner will still be the right fit. I'm not saying it doesn't happen for some, but I think statistically we can see that there are too many cases where it is definitely not a lifelong connection. We should also hesitate before bringing kids about, but that's a whole different topic!