How do people decide if they want to get married?

Here is what I would suggest, having been through a failed marriage myself. First off, don't rush it. Date for at least three years - if you don't want to wait that long, you might be getting married for the wrong reason - i.e. your getting married to be able to say "i'm married" instead of because you want to be with the other person FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

You should get married if you could put up with a terrible wedding. (registry office for the big wedding dreamers and visa versa). Marriage is just that - an ongoing activity, not a one day event!

There's no way to know until you've already done it.

So, maybe the way to know is if you can feel good about signing up with your partner for a hopefully long and unpredictable life.

Marriage is not simple you have to make sure that you love the person that you want to become a wife or a husband. Its not just a hot rice that you can easily spit it out when its too hot. Its a life time.