But if I grant that marriage is an expectation of people being in love today, I think that idea is time limited. I was taught to believe that people should get married if and only if they intend to have children because of the stigma attached to the children (the "bastards", IOW), not to the parents. Since "living together" is no longer considered a vice, and no shame is associated with having been born out of wedlock, I believe "marriage" today has precious little value. Marriage belongs to a bygone era.