First of all, what do you personally want out of a relationship? Do you want just some friendship and sex, with one foot permanently stuck "out the back door," just in case things aren't going "your way?"

Hey, if you can find a special someone who has enough sense of committment that they'll be there for you when the going gets tough, than just live together if that makes you feel better.

But take it from a guy who's been happily married for 36 years to a sexy, intelligent woman:

What you need to do is get the RELATIONSHIP in order before you do anything.

That means, taking the time you need to get to know each other; talking about all your important issues – sex, careers, philosophies, politics, whatEVER.

Anybody can got out on "dates" and be on their "best behavior," but you need to see each other, callouses and all.

Once you've done that, the relationship (or marriage) has a much higher chance of success.

Here are some of the elements I consider essential for a successful relationship:

1) A long list of common interests; things you both enjoy doing TOGETHER as opposed to separate interests and separate groups of friends.

2) A lot of tolerance for each other's differences. As much as you share in common, you're still going to rub one another wrong from time to time. Be mature and deal with it. Separate the small $h!t from the serious stuff.

3) A sense of compromise; so that you can work out your problems with a minimum of emotional trauma. It's marital negotiation.

4) A sense of sympathy and forgiveness. You're both going to screw up on occasion. You need to be able to forgive, forget, and move on with the relationship.

And trust me, most women are "hard-wired" to want a marital relationship. Most, I say; not all.

But if you get to know her and trust her, and as long as you don't turn into some kind of selfish, insensitive jerk along the way, marriage is but a minor detail, I swear.
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Paul wrote that it's better to marry than to burn with passion. While he was right, he obviously didn't burn with passion for anything apart from his ministry.

Perhaps you should be a priest.
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There's also a religious implication — it's a requirement for most religions and although that doesn't matter to some people, it does matter to others.

Legal divorces don't need to be expensive battle, especially if both parties are adults. If you're going to get married, marry a mature person.

If you're serious about the last sentence, then marriage probably isn't for you. There aren't many people out there who would want to be in a serious relationship without consummation. Good luck, though.
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