Feeling shame for not being married

It sounds like you guys are very committed and just happen to not have signed a piece of paper.
I’m sorry that you feel it is shameful.
All that matters is you guys being present and working as a team.
I hope you guys find a way to not feel negative about it.

Don't be ashamed. I just got married in May at 41 for the first time. Don't rush it, especially if you are young.

Hi! May I ask if you're a Christian and if that's why you feel shame in not being married? And if you are, is your boyfriend as well?

I’m 25 and I just got married three months ago after dating for 9 years!!! Our daughter is 1 and a half now. So don’t be ashamed. Trust me marriage is NOT easy. Don’t rush it you’re young nothing to be ashamed of.

I've been with my partner for 8 years. Just had a baby. Lived together for nearly 8 years. Don't feel ashamed. It's only a bit of paper. I think it just puts pressure on relationships. Your obviously a solid unit so practically married anyway.

I've been with my partner for 7 years and we're having a baby this month. Honestly there is so much pressure to get married we will when we feel ready. You know when your relationship is solid and as long as you both are happy that's the main thing. Just enjoy pre planning that's what I've done x

Having a baby together is a bigger commitment than marriage. We’ve been together 5 years and have a home and an 11 month old together but we’re not married. It will happen at some point but it doesn’t make me feel any less committed or less of a family x

At the end of the day, you guys have to navigate your relationship the way that works best for you and be confident in it. You shouldn’t feel shame for not living up to a standard that someone else has set for you. Besides that, y’all are both still really young. There’s plenty of time to get married. You’ve been together a long time but not very long as adults. I think it’s normal for couples who got together as teenagers to take a little more time to get married as opposed to people who got together when they were already well into being adults with a little more life behind them. You should definitely not compare yourself and marriage status to people much older than y’all

Remember, comparison is a thief of happiness. If you’re happy with your boyfriend besides the fact that y’all aren’t married, then just enjoy the fact that you have a loving, happy relationship and family. The rest will come when it’s time

Potentially negative point of view but it means absolutely nothing. I'm now divorced, marriage is just a piece of paper and a formality. I have something much deeper and closer with my current partner and I have no intention of marrying him, it doesn't change anything x

don’t be ashamed. atp marriage is just a piece of paper and can make things more complicated if you decide to split up.