Marriage - when is it time to take the plunge?

Marriage is looked upon as an unbreakable union between two people who wish to share their lives together.

Whether the two people are brought together by society, religion, emotion, or a spiritual connection, all that's important is the bond they share between them.

Deciding to get married is something so personal it should make no difference what anyone else thinks. Each marriage is its own unique experience.

But how do couples know when it feels right to take the plunge?

Krystin Dean, 25, a waitress living on Lincoln's Carholme Road, has been married to her husband Scott for two years. However, she said that until she met him, marriage hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Everyone is different," she said.

"Some people say they want to get married at a certain age and know exactly what they want their wedding to be like. I wasn't one of these people.

"Scott and I never discussed proposing. All he knew about me was that I didn't like diamonds - luckily for him!

"We had been together for about three years, and we decided to go on a backpacking trip through Europe. Scott got down on one knee on the last day of our trip on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.

"I was truly shocked. I even had to make sure he was being serious. Thankfully, he was. It was just right. This was the guy."

Krystin went on to explain she got married because she wanted to share her life with the one she lives.

She said: "It was the best decision I ever made.

"I don't think marriage is for everyone, but I do think that when it's right, you know it. Everyone tells you that, and I never believed it - until it happened to me!"

Rob Jones, 24, and his fiancee Gemma Crebbin, 22, who live off Lincoln's High Street, have been engaged for a year now, and are looking forward to taking those first steps down the aisle towards the rest of their lives.

"I just had a gut feeling," said Rob.

"We'd been together for a while, and I was happy. I was at the perfect place in my life so I thought I'd go for it - just go crazy."

Gemma agreed, saying it didn't take much to persuade her.

"I definitely knew it was the right thing to do," she said.

"I've never been anything but happy with Rob."

Rob explained how he proposed to Gemma on their one-year anniversary in front of Lincoln Cathedral.

"It was the scariest thing I'd ever done in my life," he said.

"But it felt so right, so I knew what the answer was going to be."