Being in a relationship, in the initial phase, both people wonder, what it would be like living together with the other person. Being with a person all the time or dating him or her and living with the person are two very different things.
So the best thing about cohabitation before marriage is that you can know what the other person is really like, that is his or her true nature will be revealed to you. You will get to know the realities of living together and the hard questions it poses. You will know, how good your partner is at sharing responsibilities and how enthusiastic he is about making this thing work.
It is a sort of preview of what kind of married life you can really expect. The couple will get to know each other's idiosyncrasies, insecurities, plus and minus points in more detail. This experience of cohabitation before marriage will either strengthen and affirm your decision to marry or force you to rethink. Either way, its good to have this preview before taking the wedding vows.
It can solve a lot of practical problems. The couple can save rent costs and conveyance costs if they live together. As you can see, I am for cohabitation before marriage! If there is understanding between you and your partner, things will definitely work out.
Cons of Cohabitation Before Marriage
The major con is that cohabitation before marriage may kill the excitement of getting married. Marriage may seem like a mere formality after that. Statistics show that couples who go through cohabitation before marriage, are more prone to divorce. However, statistics can be misleading as there may be a variety of reasons for a couple reaching a divorce decision.
Society frowns upon people living together without marriage. The extent to which this fact bothers you is directly proportional to how much you care about what the society thinks! Whether you live together after marriage or before marriage, problems are always going to be there in both cases.
To sum it all up, statistics and opinions are out there, but what you feel is right, you should go for it as its your life after all ! What matters ultimately is how much you understand and care for each other. If there is tolerance about each other's shortcomings and respect for each other along with that important ingredient called unconditional love, you will have a great relationship for sure!
Extended family Pros: There is always someone to talk to, always someone to call in an emergency, always someone to help you out with projects that can't be done alone. It's also really nice when holidays come around; people don't have to fly to be together or drive for hours on end. I enjoy being near my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma, siblings, and parents. It gives a feeling of love and protection even when you're alone. Plus, it's really cool to get to know people in your family through activities in everyday life.
Cons: Some family members come over when uninvited. Some of them are also a bit overly-helpful and give out too much advice. You can't pick and choose which ones you want to have around and which ones you don't. It can also be draining when you're known as helpful; people will take advantage of that without thinking about it.