As our generation gets older, we seem to be marrying younger. Though I am nowhere near the point of marriage, there are things I have deemed vital to consider based on the marriages I have observed around me. With that, comes the pros and cons to saying “I do” before the age of 22.

Falls:

You may be too young to know for sure. You probably still have your dad doing your taxes, have voted once, and quite possibly are still under the legal drinking age. How are you expected to have decided on forever already?

The divorce rate is rising, which is a reason to be even more careful. (Artofmanliness.com claims that couples who get married before the age of 25 are twice as likely to get divorced.)

You should be focusing on yourself at such a young age, and no one else. Your 20s are your years to be selfish!

Benefits:

When you know, you know. Therefore, some people say why wait for something you know is perfect for you?

Some think the longer you look, the less compatible you and your spouse will be because the good ones match up fairly quickly. Instead of waiting to see if something better will come along, this is an instance where "don't fix something that isn't broken" seems pretty logical.

You’ll have someone by your side to support you as you discover and grow in your life and together. Enough said.

Nothing is impossible to overcome. If you truly believe in what your relationship holds, no one has the right to get in the way of that.

Yes, I mentioned divorce before, but is that really going stop you from taking the chance to potentially have something truly exceptional?

With all of that said, the best way to approach marriage is left to you. Regardless of age, there are things you should keep in mind.

Dos:

Make sure you’re financially stable. Unless you elope (don’t) the act of getting married is costly and takes a lot of time.

Figure out absolutely everything about the other person: what are their habits? could you live with them? Do you picture yourself growing old with this person? Do they want kids?, etc.

Don’ts:

Don't rush into it.

Don't expect financial help from your family. When you commit to another person, you're implying that you're self-sufficient enough to share your life with another.

Don't be dependent on your significant other. It's like they say, you have to love yourself before you can love someone else.

But he most important thing I’ve noticed is to always take things with a grain of salt. And that goes far beyond marriage.