Been there, done that, don't intend to do it again! Seriously, now. I am proud to say that I've been married for 20 yrs...and I intend to stay that way! We did live together before we got married (for about a year and a half), but we had been dating for 3+ yrs when we moved in...total 25yrs, for those scoring at home. I didn't think that actually being "married" mattered that much...until I was. There is something (I hesitate to use the word, but) sacred about the public affirmation of the vows of marriage. There have been times when that public acknowledgement was the stiffener in the resolve for both Mrs. D and me to just stay together and tough it out...not that we didn't love each other, we do...it's just that, occasionally, you may not like your partner very much, especially after a long nasty set-to. Knowing that you publicly said "for better, for worse" for certain people at certain times can be the difference between making up and breaking up. I'm all for it, and I recommend it to couples that want to do it. It IS meaningful.