What's the bigger commitment: Marriage or Mortgage?

While it's true there's always the possibility you could get a divorce or sell your home, most people enter into a marriage or a mortgage with the expectation of being together for a considerable amount of time – think "forever home" and "until-death do us part."

And getting married or buying a house involves legally binding paperwork, such as a marriage licenses, prenups, titles and closing documents.

Although there are many similarities between a mortgage and marriage, I conclude marriage to be the bigger commitment for these two reasons:

1. Marriage carries more financial risk – When unmarried partners share a home, they are both liable for costs related to the home, which can be significant but are limited in scope. Married couples, on the other hand, can also be responsible for each other's financial obligations, such as credit card debt, medical bills, car loans, student loans – even future living expenses – in addition to the mortgage.
2. Marriage has greater social implications – A mortgage generally affects only the 2 people on the title, whereas a marriage more deeply involves 2 sets of families, friends and often children (not that you have to be married to have children). And selling a house is more common, often viewed positively as "moving up." Moving doesn't carry the same social stigma as a "failed" marriage often does.