Let's Have a Family and Get Married

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had a baby, about four months ago. They are engaged to be married, but no wedding has happened yet. Is it just me, or does this seem backwards to anybody else? I was always under the impression that couples were supposed to get married, then have children together. Granted, my mother got pregnant before she married my father, but at least they had the wedding before I was born. It seems like more and more couples, in Britain, are having children without the benefit of being married to each other, first. Am I old fashioned because I think this isn't such a good idea?
I've been living in England for over eight years, now. What's going on back in America? Are Katie and Tom part of a growing trend, there, too, or just Hollywood exceptions? At least they plan to get married. A lot of couples, here, don't seem to have any intention of getting married. Meanwhile, homosexuals on both sides of the Atlantic have been campaigning to be able to get married. Here in England, and in Wales, same sex couples can now legally form "civil partnerships." These seem to be "marriages" in all but name. I keep hearing that this is a controversial issue, back in America. If people want to form marriages, why stop them? As long as the parties thereto are happy with the arrangement, why should anyone else use force to stop them? Rumors have it that Katie Holmes is having second thoughts about wedding Tom. Wouldn't it have been better to settle that question BEFORE having the baby?