Just a Piece of Paper?

How do you explain to someone that getting married is not *just a piece of paper*?!I used to think like that too, but I'd much prefer to be married than to be just living my life in what feels like a relationship of convenience.I've said many times that it is important to me that we get married, I don't want anything grand, just a wedding in the celebrant's garden followed by dinner with friends would be nice, but somehow we can never seem to be able to *afford* it. It is never enough of a priority to be able to actually DO it.All around me people are getting married, five and a half years ago we got engaged with intentions of being married within 6 months, five years later its still not planned, not even so much as a firm date set.Is it really just a piece of paper? I think that that piece of paper is really so much more, it represents a state of mind, a lifelong (or longer) commitment; not just a *this is good for the moment* commitment...How do you explain that to a fella!?