I’m 36 and have been with my current girlfriend for almost 5 years now - my longest relationship yet. We live together & everything else couply, just not married. I see marriage as unnecessary pressure that has a tendency to put strain on the relationship. Right now if we’re happy together we stay, if we’re not we split. Simple. Marriage complicates it.
I was married, now I’m divorced. She cheated on me. That’s just for background.
For me, the legal marriage contract did nothing good. It just made it harder and more expensive when it was time to separate. My suggestion is (if you can find someone to go along with it) to have the ceremony, party, and honeymoon, but skip the legal contract. No one will ask to see your contract, except for the few legal reasons it matters. To everyone, and to both of you for all the reasons that matter socially, you’ll be married. Why do we need governmental sanctioning of our personal relationships?
The contract doesn’t keep them from cheating, it doesn’t keep them from leaving, nor should anyone want that. Neither is it required for child support, that’s a separate contract that has nothing to do with marriage (or even biology, in some cases). IMO, the ideal relationship is one where you both choose, every day to spend the day with each other, until you don’t–if that should ever happen.