It often seems as though a wedding is a stage or level in life that must be accomplished to reach another level. However more and more younger generations are asking themselves what is the point of a wedding?
The point of a wedding is to unify two individual people under one legal umbrella defined as marriage. There are both legal benefits and ramifications of being married. In the States and most of the world a wedding also is a celebration where friends and family come together to share with the bride and groom’s union.
Although not everyone agrees, the benefits of a wedding or Marriage do seem to outweigh the implications of a wedding.
Psychological reason to be married
Though I am not a psychologist, I have studied the science of clinical psychology for nearly a decade.
Marriage is a psychological barrier preventing a spouse to break the written contract of marriage. Delayed gratification is increasingly less common with our modern world.
There are also psychological reasons to not become married, such as divorce rates, court battles, and shared assets. Continue below to see the benefits and implications of marriage.
Benefits of Marriage
There are several legal, tax, and family benefits of creating the union of marriage. I have compiled a long list of the benefits of marriage.
Legal Benefits of Marriage
- Marriage allows medical decision-making in the event your spouse is unable to speak for themselves
- A legal will is not required to transfer assets upon a spouse’s death to another spouse
- Changing a last name can create a strong family dynamic.
Tax Benefits of Marriage
- The income tax brackets double for married couples
- IRA contributions are available for the non-working spouse of a W2 income earner.
- Unlimited gifting of assets
Family Benefits of Marriage
- Insurance such as auto insurance is generally less expensive for many
- Company sponsored Health Insurance is generally available for their spouse and family
- Medicare, disability, veterans, pension plans and other benefits are available through your spouse.
- Family sick leave is allotted for married couples
Implications of Marriage
Divorce is a risk of getting married and can cause catastrophic problems for either spouse.
Legal Implications of Marriage
- Nine states are a classified as community property states, which divide assets to divorced couples 50/50
- A name change can be a difficult task a specially when there are several entities to notify
- The government’s has a little more information and another hand in your life
Tax Implications of Marriage
- Alimony is not a tax deduction
- Debts are shared equally in community property states
Family Law Implications of marriage
- 2.7 people per 1000 get a divorce (according to the CDC)
- Alimony, or spousal maintenance, is usually granted by divorce court
- If a stepchild is involved, the new spouse’s income may be requested by family court.
- Community property or assets may be used to pay court ordered child support of previous children
Definition of marriage
The Oxford dictionary’s definition of marriage is
The legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship
Oxford definition of marriage
It is important to define marriage to better understand this stage of our life.
Social definition of marriage
While the dictionary definition of marriage might be straightforward and simple, we also have to consider about social norm of Marriage and what it implies to be a married couple.
Marriage can be defined socially as the beginning of a family and running your life in order.
Many times through social circles you will find marriage as an imported life goal. While this seems to be an important life goal, statistics have shown the rate of marriages have been steadily decreasing for the last 30 years. In 1990 marriage was 9.8 for every 1000 people, we are now at 6.1 marriages for every 1000 people, according to statista.com
Definition of wedding
Marriage and Weddings are not the same thing. You can be married without having a wedding. The Merriam-Webster definition of wedding is:
A marriage ceremony, usually with its accompanying festivals: nuptials
Merriam-Webster’s definition of wedding
In short the wedding is simply the party and celebration of becoming married.
While this is a wildly debatable topic, it does come down to 2 individuals who make a committment to each other.
