What's harder is when the asking comes from inside the house — a parent who keeps leaving brochures around, a sibling who treats your partner as provisional. There, a single calm sentence said once and repeated without elaboration does more than a debate: "This is my family. I'd love you to treat it that way."
Does not marrying mean we're less committed?
No — but commitment that isn't declared tends to go unverified, and unverified things get wobbly in a crisis. What matters is whether you both know, in specific terms, what you have promised each other and what you would do if the worst happened. Couples who can answer that clearly are usually steadier than couples who assume a certificate did the thinking for them.
How do I raise this without it sounding like I'm angling for a proposal?
Separate the practical from the symbolic and start with the practical, which is far easier to discuss without anyone feeling cornered. Something like: "I'd like us to sort out the boring paperwork so neither of us is left stranded — can we look at it this month?" If you do want the symbolic part too, say that separately and plainly on a different day, as information rather than an ultimatum. Being clear about what you want is not pressure; it is the only way your partner gets a real chance to respond to the actual you.
