I did not follow MB to a T before marriage, in fact, we had been living together since 3 months dating (in hindsight, a really silly idea) and I was 6 months pregnant when I got my ring

While we are happily married now, I really wish we had done things differently in the beginning. I mean, I didn't even have a 'wedding' itself because I didn't want to waddle down the aisle. I used to dream of picking out a beautiful dress, not standing in lineup at a govt office. Our honeymoon was 3 days in Seattle rather than a month backpacking in Australia which was always our dream.

Maybe we are an exception that we became 'buyers' when yeah, we certainly had a renter's thing going on once upon a time! But not living together gives you time apart in that your love grows, you don't fall into mundane tasks of housework so soon in the courting process, and you don't end up with babies before! (hopefully...).

When you've lived together for 4 years (we did for 1), you can easily fall into a renter's trap, VERY easily. After all, you lived together for basically 4 years before getting engaged.

Just be careful and consider that trap. A marriage is not a piece of paper as some would say, but a 'legal defacto' marriage, I think it sure is. Common law does not exist where I live, thank goodness!