Getting married is the only way we can be together because I am British and he is American.
He has an excellent job, a degree, and he worked hard through College so he has no student debt at all. A few years ago he made some poor decisions and worked up $4000 in credit card debt, he has managed to pay off $2000 of this in the past 12 months, so is down to $2000. He has had his job for 6 years, it comes with a decent health plan, and recently a 401k, sick days, and currently 3 weeks paid vacation. He also has had a 5-10% pay rise each year, and a 5-7% bonus for 4 of the past 5 years. Last year he got a promotion to Management and a 10% pay increase.
I have a degree, but where I live in the UK is a dead end town, nothing but minimum wage jobs unless you're an engineer. I have no transport, nor any way to secure transport, I can't move elsewhere as I couldn't afford rent/bills. My parents are letting me stay rent - free and they provide food for nothing. I hate feeling like a paracite, and in the past 8 years I have always had a job and paid my own way. I will be moving back to the US 4 months, so not much time to move out and find a "proper job" in a town where my degree actually means something.
As I mentioned, the wedding isn't costing us anything (which we are both immensely great full for), it is the visa, green card, and flights that are costing us. Has we just got legally married and I hadn't returned to the UK, we would have saved $4000. That is the mistake, getting married itself is not a mistake nor a financial burden In fact once I have a job in the US (his area has TONS of new businesses popping up everywhere) our financial situation will be better, since I can help pay for the rent/bills etc.