When Anthony "A.J." Browne was thinking about proposing to Kelly Clements during their romantic weekend getaway last month in Stowe, he was unsure about the perfect time and place: while out hiking in the woods that afternoon? Over dinner and drinks that evening? Later that night under the stars? Ultimately, Browne popped the question while they were chilling out on a couch with a glass of wine in their hotel room. To Browne, the setting was emblematic of their four-year relationship: easy, relaxed, casual. "I think I was in my pajamas," he said. But, as Clements recalled, Browne didn't ask her to be his wife. "He said, 'Will you be my woman?'" Clements was surprised and thrilled by Browne's proposal — she said yes — but she also knew that they wouldn't actually get married. Instead, the Essex couple has chosen a path that may puzzle some people but has become a trend for couples of all ages: the so-called "forever engagement.""A big part of our relationship is having the right expectations for each other and allowing each other to flex and bend with life's changes and not be rigid," Browne explained. "Life alters its course daily and, in some cases, pretty drastically, like a river. So being able to go with the flow is important to both of us." Given the historical transactional nature of marriage — as a means of amassing wealth, forging political alliances and increasing the size of one's clan — it's understandable that this traditional institution isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially those who've previously tied the knot. Forty to 50 percent of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, according to the American Psychological Association. That said, legally recognized unions tend to fare better in Vermont, where the divorce rate is very low: It ranks 44th nationally, according to the U.S Census Bureau. But for Browne, 42, and Clements, 39, both of whom were married previously and had two kids apiece with their former spouses, their decision not to wed wasn't a statement about marriage generally. "When I was growing up, I was the girl who bought wedding magazines, so I'm not anti-weddings or anti-marriage at all," Clements said. "Getting divorced revealed how unnecessary a wedding is to me. I'm so committed to A.J., and I don't need a wedding to tell the world that.""Me getting engaged to Kelly has…
When Anthony "A.J." Browne was thinking about proposing to Kelly Clements during their romantic weekend getaway last month in Stowe, he was unsure about the perfect time and place: while out hiking in the woods that afternoon? Over dinner and drinks that evening? Later that night under the stars? Ultimately, Browne popped the question while they were chilling out on a couch with a glass of wine in their hotel room. To Browne, the setting was emblematic of their four-year relationship: easy, relaxed, casual. "I think I was in my pajamas," he said. But, as Clements recalled, Browne didn't ask her to be his wife. "He said, 'Will you be my woman?'" Clements was surprised and thrilled by Browne's proposal — she said yes — but she also knew that they wouldn't actually get married. Instead, the Essex couple has chosen a path that may puzzle some people but has become a trend for couples of all ages: the so-called "forever engagement.""A big part of our relationship is having the right expectations for each other and allowing each other to flex and bend with life's changes and not be rigid," Browne explained. "Life alters its course daily and, in some cases, pretty drastically, like a river. So being able to go with the flow is important to both of us." Given the historical transactional nature of marriage — as a means of amassing wealth, forging political alliances and increasing the size of one's clan — it's understandable that this traditional institution isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially those who've previously tied the knot. Forty to 50 percent of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, according to the American Psychological Association. That said, legally recognized unions tend to fare better in Vermont, where the divorce rate is very low: It ranks 44th nationally, according to the U.S Census Bureau. But for Browne, 42, and Clements, 39, both of whom were married previously and had two kids apiece with their former spouses, their decision not to wed wasn't a statement about marriage generally. "When I was growing up, I was the girl who bought wedding magazines, so I'm not anti-weddings or anti-marriage at all," Clements said. "Getting divorced revealed how unnecessary a wedding is to me. I'm so committed to A.J., and I don't need a wedding to tell the world that.""Me getting engaged to Kelly has…
