Five months after her wedding to Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi is declaring that marriage has “completely changed my life.”

“Marriage is a different way of being together,” the actress told PEOPLE Friday while promoting her upcoming ABC series Better Off Ted at the Television Critics Association event in Pasadena, Calif.

Even though the couple have been together since 2004, tying the knot strengthened their bond. “There’s a peace to [being married] and a sense of togetherness that we just didn’t have before. And I didn’t even realize it would change as much as it has, but it’s so lovely,” said the actress.

“It’s legal, and it’s real, so there’s that kind of formality to it that makes it very valid,” added de Rossi. “I think the emotions that went with that as a gay woman kind of surprised me – that I would be that relieved to have my mother be present at the ceremony to bless the union, and to call [Ellen] her daughter-in-law.”

The actress said she’s also emerged as a more confident woman in recent years, both in her life and her career. “It’s so important to live an honest, open life and I didn’t really realize that until I started doing it,” she said.3

Source , Splash