Or is it?
Relationship reporter, Ashley Papa, decided to look beyond the obvious of “changing names, gaining in-laws, and joining back accounts” to find out once and for all: what really changes when boyfriend and girlfriend become husband and wife?
It’s not uncommon for unmarried couples to “act” married before actually tying the knot. As an example, I’m sure you can think of a handful of your friends, or maybe it’s you, who have been living with a significant other for years. You are a pair, a team, two peas in a pod; there’s no uncertainty about it, but this bond becomes even stronger in different ways when you say, “I do.”
In Ashley's new article, ”6 Things That Change When Boyfriends and Girlfriends Become Husbands and Wives,” she speaks with a psychologist and a marriage and family therapist to get to the bottom of this debate.
From ‘shift in identity’ to 'spiritual reconnection' to 'sex needs,' being married is different than calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend in more meaningful ways than you may recognize.
Read her entire article here to learn why marriage is not just a piece of paper.