If you’re at that stage in your life where the pressure of ‘settling down’ begins to mount from every conceivable corner, it is only natural that you’ll find yourself weighing the pros and cons of arranged marriage or love marriage at some point. This comparative analysis will occupy your thoughts, irrespective of your relationship status and future plans.
Allow us to resolve a few queries with these answers. The question of the hour is, ‘what makes love marriage better than arranged marriage?’ We’ve curated this list of the 5 benefits of love marriage. You’ll see why people opt for them over an arranged setting. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the different facets of marriage out of love.
# You truly know your future life partner‘Till death do us part’ – that’s the idea behind marriage. Two people come together to share their life with each other. Doesn’t it make sense then to embark on this decades-long journey with someone you know inside-out and share a deep connection with? And being aware of your future spouse’s strengths and weaknesses is integral for a happy marriage. There is more acceptance in a marriage out of love. This sense of familiarity is nearly absent in the case of an arranged union.
# There is no awkwardness in intimacy – Pros of love marriage
One of the greatest benefits of love marriages is that you are way past the getting to know each other phase. There will be no awkwardness when you’re trying to get intimate after the wedding. We all remember the cringe-worthy portrayal of suhaag raat in the movies from the 80s and 90s.
Do you really want the consummation of your marriage to play out on those lines? Well, that’s a risk you run in the case of arranged marriages. First of all, a lot of couples in an arranged match do not go all the way and indulge in pre-marital sex for the fear of being judged. This can lead to a lot of awkwardness between a couple when they have to share a bed and get intimate with someone because they’re socially obligated to.
# There is no resentment toward your family in a marriage out of loveIf you do go ahead with an arranged marriage and are dealt a bad hand, you will (on some level at least) resent your family for the alliance. These feelings can be pronounced if a person agreed to the match due to mounting family pressure. After her divorce, my second cousin refused to set foot in her parents’ home. I believe she was angrier at them than her ex-husband. How could they have made such a bad decision for her?
In the case of love marriages, on the other hand, you know no matter how things play out to be, the buck stops at you. You’re in the driver’s seat, charting the course of your life, living with the consequences of your choices – and that’s exactly how every adult should live. A marriage out of love is a conscious choice made by a person who’s in control of their life. There is no scope for blaming others. Among all the pros of love marriage, this one matters the most in the long run.
# What’s one of the best advantages of love marriage? There are no unrealistic expectationsIn a love marriage, you know your partner well and are privy to the highs and lows of their personal and professional journey so far. This also means that you know of each other’s financial limitations and are comfortable with them. In this case, the chances of an abrupt demand or unrealistic expectations are minimal. You won’t expect your partner to spend a bomb on the honeymoon or buy a penthouse for you to move into when you know it is beyond their means.
# Love marriage is better because there’s no need for an extravaganzaThe ‘big fat Indian wedding’ is a testament to how parents spread themselves thin financially because of the idea that a lavish wedding would please their child’s future in-laws, and thus, keep the marital ship from hitting rocky waters.
They do this despite there being no guarantee that overspending on a wedding can buy happiness in a marriage. One of the benefits of love marriage over arranged marriage is that there is no need to go all out and throw a wedding to prove to the world that you like each other. In a love marriage, you don’t need anyone’s approval. (Still wondering about the advantages of love marriage?)