Does anything change when we get married? For many us, we probably say no. So we started to wonder, why are people still getting married? What does marriage mean to people outside of the legally binding document with the government?

In this episode, we dive into a study done by the Pew Research Center that they conducted in 2019 about marriage and cohabitation in the US. Find the full study and information here: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/11/06/marriage-and-cohabitation-in-the-u-s/

We looked at our own views of the reasons we've seen why people might choose to get married and also at the study. Some of the results were surprising, while others were predictable. In this thought-provoking episode, you'll start to wonder what the reasons for marriage were for many people. Was is just out of love? Is a formal commitment still important to people? Many still choose to get married out of spiritual and religious beliefs while others may adhere to some societal pressures and statuses. Mark and Ashley talk about the reasons they cited to get married and how that's changed over the last 10 years.

What we found most interesting from the study were the feelings of trust and satisfaction of married people versus people who were simply living together. AND, does marriage make any difference to a relationship in the long-run? When we're in our 60s and have been married for 40 years, will the marriage have any significance over cohabitation with our partners for 40 years?

Our actionable step for you this week is to join the conversation with us on our Facebook group at Marriage Doesn't Suck. Read the full study for more information. And for your date night, get some poster board or just some plain white paper and start drawing out a blue print of your dream house. We did this a few weeks ago and it was lots of fun and very insightful in what is important to us when it comes to our home. Have fun!