I think that marriage is something you do because you want to, not because you are pressured into it because your parents want you to or because society thinks it's the right thing to do. It's a very personal decision, just as the decision whether to have children is.
One reason to get married is so that your children will have two reliable parents. It is very important for children to see that two people can love each other and them. As much as possible, both a father and a mother should be living with them so that they can learn about relationships and love and how to bring up children. It's safer for them too. One of the biggest threats to children is their mother's boyfriend.
Another reason is the emotional and financial security that marriage would bring. It makes it easier to plan ahead. The thought of being with someone for the rest of your life can be very appealing. That's important to a lot of people, though perhaps not everyone.
It is definately true that we might make a "mistake" and choose someone who grows and changes in a different direction than we do. I am divorced myself. However, mistakes are a part of life. The only way to completely avoid making mistakes is to never do anything. And then you would be even more miserable than you ever would with trying to deal with any mistakes you made. At some point, you have to trust your intuition and see where it takes you. If it seems "right" to get married, then do it. But don't do it just because someone told you to.
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