What is it like to be married?
My perceptions:
When you get engaged, everyone you know congratulates you and celebrates with you. You immediately elevate in social status. You get to have a party and then you get to have a bridal shower and a bachelor/ette party. Then you get to have a wedding, followed by a honeymoon. Then, for the rest of your lives, you get to have an anniversary.
But that's not all. When you're married, you get tax breaks and you don't have to pay singles supplements when you travel. You get generous social security benefits as a married person, as well as an easier time qualifying for a mortgage. This is not to mention that when you're married, you're more likely to get promoted at work.
Beyond all the material benefits though, is the love and the respect. When you're married, society has a much higher respect for you. Most importantly, though, is that no matter what difficulties life throws at you (and when you have the financial security of marriage, those difficulties are significantly less), you know you'll always have someone there to love and love you in return, and that someone will always see you through the difficulties, fighting them with you.
What do you think? Wouldn't you agree? What is it like to be married?
As a singleton, who has none of the above, what can I celebrate?