In the past, marriage was an institution used to create alliances between kingdoms. It was used to make families more connected and be able to support each other's in-laws economically. Marriage was also used as a way for the men to protect the women and make sure that they are taken care of. In some cultures, marriage still is used for that purpose.

Slowly, this concept evolved into something to do with that beautiful feeling of love. Loving your significant other so much that you throw a grand party and exchange rings and promise to be in each other's lives forever. It has a lot to do with religion, as well. Some want to be married, with God as a witness, and that's totally fine.

However, you do not necessarily have to be married to truly give someone your 100 percent. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the day after your wedding day, everything between you and your husband/wife should be the same. You should have always loved each other 100 percent even before you were married. Because once you know they are the one, you should've already fully committed to them the second you knew. You should not need to marry someone to make it official.

I truly believe that marriage is a social expectation.

Most couples spend thousands of dollars on grand parties to show the world how much they love each other. Which is fine. However, some people tend to equate how grand a wedding is to how much a couple loves each other, which is so wrong. And sometimes the stress that couples go through during that whole process can create shifts in their relationship which will affect them greatly in the future. I'm not saying marriage is the worst thing a couple can do, however, is there really such a big difference in your relationship just because you have it on paper?

It should be more socially acceptable for people to date and just be happy rather than having the pressure to marry someone and make it official. Because once a couple is married, then they are expected to have kids. Buy a house. Buy a car. If a couple loves each other so much and knows that they are each others' soulmates, you don't need to follow the societal expectation of marriage to make it truly official.

I've been to a couple weddings myself and it is always so beautiful to witness the love between each couple. However, I feel as though some couples tend to break apart once they are married. This can be due to the pressure to have babies from relatives, buying a house, and several other financial and social commitments they have to worry about. When a couple is dating, they focus on each other rather than worry about the expectations they have to complete due to this idea of marriage. Sometimes, it is important to go with the flow and let things figure themselves out rather than fall prey to doing whatever society expects you to do.

In the end, love is love. And only you and your partner have to know how much affection you have for each other. If you truly know that, you don't need anything else. If you want to marry, make sure it's your decision. Not what your parents want. Or what your relatives want. Because in the end, the love you have for each other should not change, regardless. Marriage does not make your love any more official than it already should be.