"Marriage Delay"

In today's society one would suspect that marriage is the way to go and that if one does not get married then it's considered a sin. In a recent article, it states that less than 50% of households are married. This shows that 83 % of people choose to live with eachother, while remaining friends. Some people wait around for years, going through many relationships and moving on, as they hope to find "the one." Eventually one will find their companion in life, usually 90% of people get married, but is it for the right reason? What do you think you should take into consideration before you get married? How much income do you both bring in? How long have you been together? Do you know everything you need to know about your partner? So many factors play into marriage, and there have been and undocumented amount of divorces in this country. Do you want your children to suffer for your mistakes? If you wait to long, would you have a chance of missing out on having kids, or even finding that soulmate? But, if you get married to fast, will it have repercussions?

What do you think one should consider before getting married and/or what are some alternative methods of being together "forever." Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz chose to be life long partners, rather than marry!