<human>: Hi,
So I've been dating this great girl for the last seven months. I've had a 'thing' for her as long as I've known her (probably about six years), so when we finally got together in Feb of this year, it was like Christmas all over again!

Things have gone from strength to strength, she gets on well with my eight year old daughter from prev relationship, her family seem to really  like me, etc, etc.

We've talked about getting a place together. She'd love children of her own, and I've said that I'd be happy to father them. We're going away for a week at the end of the month, romantic getaway (but taking our dogs!).

However, the subject of marriage has kept popping up, in mostly roundabout ways. It came to a head last weekend when we went to her cousin's wedding. Obviously weddings were very much in the forefront of everyone's mind. Hell, even her old man asked when I'd be taking her to Lapland (her ideal destination to get married).

My problem is that I'm just not into the idea of getting married. I've thought long and hard about it, and ultimately my argument against it is to do with the fact that I don't believe getting married has anything to do with commitment or love. To me, its just a legal contract. I don't need or want a legal contract to dictate how our relationship works.

So I told her my thoughts and feelings about getting wed last night. To her credit, she reacted very calmly, thanked me for being honest. She told me that she was very disappointed, as its something that every girl dreams about...but sadly said that 'you can't have it all'. 
Not much was said after that. 

So...my question to you all (would love some female perspective on this) - how should I play this? I don't want her to think that I'm not serious about her. I want to make her happy. But even way down the line, I just can't imagine standing next to her, making vows, without feeling a fraud.

Give me a shortened version of the text
<bot>: told my girlfriend I don't want to get married. Was I wrong to be honest with her and destroy childhood dream, or should I just have kept putting it off?