The 28th Dress

In the day and age where man has come to see that we, as a people, are taking a close hard look at our financial futures, as well as that of the ones we love; aka, family!

Now that we take a second thought to making that large purchase, whether it for fashion, for a car, a house or appliances; we are also thinking twice about the potential (or for some, inevitable) finding that special someone to call our own. The potentials and advantages of having a spouse, legally speaking, will give several advantages come the end the year.

And more still, the affair itself. Knowing that one day or night you will be either draped in a gorgeous wedding gown or suited up in a formal tux. The much needed things that create for us the idea of that perfect moment, are priceless.

Priceless, but at times come well equipped with a hefty price. How much are we ready to pay before we say "I do!"?

The average US couples spend $19,581 for their wedding. In order to have that wedding you'll need a wedding ring, and perhaps you'd like to go on a honeymoon when the affair is said and done. How stimulating! To the economy that is, and the idea of this institution not only allows the merritt to call someone legally and biblical binding, but as previously mentioned gives it's fringe benefits.

On the order of 1,400 legal rights are conferred upon married couples in the U.S. Typically these are composed of about 400 state benefits and over 1,000 federal benefits. Among them are the rights to:

• Joint parenting
• Joint adoption
• Joint foster care, custody, and visitation (including non-biological parents)
• Status as next-of-kin for hospital visits and medical decisions where one partner is too ill to be competent
• Joint insurance policies for home, auto and health
• Dissolution and divorce protections such as community property and child support
• Immigration and residency for partners from other countries
• Inheritance automatically in the absence of a will
• Joint leases with automatic renewal rights in the event one partner dies or leaves the house or apartment
• Inheritance of jointly-owned real and personal property through the right of survivor ship (which avoids the time and expense and taxes in probate)
• Benefits such as annuities, pension plans, Social Security, and Medicare
• Spousal exemptions to property tax increases upon the death of one partner who is a co-owner of the home
• Veterans' discounts on medical care, education, and home loans; joint filing of tax returns
• Joint filing of customs claims when traveling
• Wrongful death benefits for a surviving partner and children
• Bereavement or sick leave to care for a partner or child
• Decision-making power with respect to whether a deceased partner will be cremated or not and where to bury him or her
• Crime victims' recovery benefits
• Loss of consortium tort benefits
• Domestic violence protection orders
• Judicial protections and evidential immunity
  and more....

I'm still vague on the concept that this institution should be reserved for those that marry outside their gender. If we look at the grand scheme of things, allowing everyone into this institution would solve some civil unrest, but also have the possibility to impact the economy in a fascinating way. Say that marriage is allotted as a right to all men and women regardless of the sexual identity of the one they choose to wed. Look at the possibility of how many more weddings would be entered into, an already saturated market base that generates over 40 billion dollars a year. Can you say "Big money?" Let's be real, some gay men would lavish at the opportunity to plan his own wedding.

I can see it now; a large white wedding dress/tux combo marching down the isle, doves being released just as the 'I do's' are being said. The men are happy, the registers of the local marts would be a bit fuller and merchants happier still. Let's take another look at this possibility before we turn a blind eye to ideological differences and antiquated ideas of the newly emerging idea that we call marriage.