Yes. Those are very good points that come with legal marriage and can be somewhat circumvented.

For the tax write offs, there's not real way to get around that honestly. A lot of men that are against marriage think along the lines of, "A small percentage more to the government each year is better than her taking half". No offense to you at all by the way, just relaying the thought process.

For medical emergencies, death, etc. You can be legally made his medical proxy in case of emergency and be a beneficiary on his life insurance policy. This is just a suggestion to get around the "benefits" of marriage that the government essentially handles for you.

As for your internal struggle, I know many women that just like the idea of being a "wife" on paper and it seems that you're slightly in that camp. Another question that I have for women that really want to get married is, "What exactly do you wish to gain from marriage that you don't already have in your current relationship?" Besides the tax write-offs and status, the only benefit is the wedding day itself in the answers I usually get.

Another thing to think about is his perspective. "What does he stand to gain from marriage?" and "What does he stand to lose from potential divorce?" For many men, the cons outweigh the pros (at least statistically speaking) which is why they abstain from or are very hesitant to get married.

I find it nice that you're open to compromise, but if it is a deal breaker for you in the end, I would suggest ending the relationship before you get resentful and regretful. Although you make not feel that now, you have to think 5, 10, 20 years down the line if it's something you can deal with.

I would also caution you that the path of only a ceremony does come with consequence of lots of potential risk on your end. I don't want to assume too much about your relationship, but know that if you choose to be a stay at home wife/mom and he does leave, it will open your life to a difficult future professionally and mentally. With that warning, I will also give the advice to stay in the job market and keep your professional skills fresh as insurance for your own future.

Sorry if my comment comes off as preachy or very individualistic. I want the best for both of you regardless. I wish you luck and hope you give us an update in the future.

My first question to you would be: Is your dream to be married or to have a wedding? They are two different things in all honestly. The way you worded your post comes off as you want a wedding day and celebration, not really a legal document saying you're married.

As another user commented, a wedding ceremony could be had without the legal papers as a requirement. This is a very reasonable compromise in my opinion. I'm very against legal marriage myself, but if my SO really wanted a marriage ceremony, I'd acquiesce with no issues since it was important to them. OP, you should sit him down and explain that having a wedding has always been your dream and that you'd really like to have that one day.