[Chyron8472]

I didn't have a big expensive ceremony filled with people I don't know or like. We invited our friends from college (we were in college at the time) and our extended families. And we didn't spend buckets of money on the ceremony. I think we spent less than two thousand dollars on the wedding. That sounds like a lot, but everything adds up when you talk about renting tuxes, buying dresses, ordering two cakes and other snack-ish foods, ordering invitations, flowers, etc.... We had both the ceremony and the reception in my wife's church, which cost us nothing to use. We also took marriage counseling with her pastor so we got a discount on the marriage certificate.

We had our honeymoon at a bed and breakfast in a small town off the beach in northern California, which we got to by flying Southwest Airlines (who are inexpensive) to Oakland and renting a car to drive there from the airport.

If anything, I think we spent more money on our rings than we did on the wedding and honeymoon combined. But, part of the reason for that is because my wife wanted hypoallergenic metal, which gold is not, so we got her a platinum ring. I also got a platinum ring so that the color would match. For the record, my ring has no diamonds. Guys don't need diamonds.


The reason why marriage is important is because it says that "I'm committed to you. Only you. I love you and I want to make a promise to you in front of the whole world how much you mean to me; a promise that I'll keep forever." My wedding ring is a sign of love and commitment to me. It's something I cherish greatly, not a ball and chain.

Without that promise, there's nothing to guarantee that we won't be together when it's not convenient. And, despite what you might say, children benefit from having a loving mother and father. Teaching them what a loving relationship should be like is important. [edit] Yes, having loving same-sex parents who are gay is probably better than abusive parents who are straight. But I see that being a positive point to a gay couple who adopts a child rather than a child whose birth parents simply never got married or else divorced after which one parent found a gay partner. In that case, said child still craves that relationship with the other birth parent which they don't primarily live with, and they don't understand why their mom and dad aren't still together. Oftentimes, they even blame themselves for it.[/edit]

Also, the word "husband" sounds way better than "baby daddy."


I've been single, living on my own with a job while not in school. It's lonely. My parents were lucky enough to meet in high school and get married in college when they were only 20, so my dad has never experienced the single life, really. One day my dad asked me "I'm curious, what do single people do? I've never really been so I'd just like to know." I thought about it and replied, "single people spend most of their time trying to find a way not to be single anymore."

Casual sex is hollow. There's no emotional investment in it. Emotional investment is important, as we humans are emotional creatures. We want people to care about us. Relationships are important to us. As far as I can see it, casual sex is just a futile attempt to fill in that hole in one's life where they want to feel loved, but there's no emotional connection, so the feelings one has in the end are hollow and sad.

This is why "waiting for sex until after marriage" is good for a relationship. You learn what it is to be close friends with this person and to spend time with them, having fun together, without dealing with the deep feelings that come from having sex. Sex really does change the aspect of a relationship, and having it shouldn't be taken lightly.

Marriage is important. Sex is also good, but it's far more beneficial to have it with someone whom you love and whom you know loves you and you know won't leave you after having it.