Dating is a tryout for marriage. Dating offers you the chance to explore and learn before you make the serious commitment of marriage. You can move in with someone and share different aspects of your life to test out what marriage would be like with that person. Its not, however, the same as being married.

Is being married the same as being in a relationship?

A marriage is between families, whereas a live-in relationship is between two people (for the most part). This is both a good thing, and a bad thing, and key is to figure out how you and your partner function, and what your relationship needs. But, know that marriage has legal and social benefits for the kids.

What is the difference between being a couple and dating?

The main difference between dating and being in a relationship is that people in a relationship connect by a mutual commitment to each other. A major key difference between a relationship and dating is that dating can be intimately physical; a relationship has more emotional intimacy.