Kan Dail
Getting married to the love of your life definitely has to be one of the most memorable experiences in life.
However, marriage is a lot more than planning for wedding festivities and saying “I Do” in front of a crowd.
You must discuss several things with your partner to make sure that your commitment toward each other stands the test of time.
In Australia, for example, the divorce rate is 2.2 per 1000 residents. Most broken marriages are caused due to factors like lack of commitment, miscommunication, and other problems.
So, to ensure your marriage is filled with love and laughter, here are a few things to do.
1. Discuss your commitment toward each other
People say that love is the most important thing in a happy marriage. While that’s true, a lot of other feelings also come into play.
One of the most important pillars of a happy marriage is commitment, where both partners promise to stand by each other and fulfill these promises.
Before you get married, discuss and understand whether you are ready to commit to each other. Understand what commitment means to both of you.
Remember, marriage is a promise of a lifetime. Therefore, your commitment also needs to be for life. You both need to support each other on both the good and the bad days.
2. Sign a prenuptial agreement
If you don’t know a prenup agreement, soon-to-be-married couples (sometimes) sign this contract. It enlists their properties, debts, and the rights to each of these assets.
In many countries, prenups are also known as premarital, prenuptial, and antenuptial agreements.
Contrary to popular belief, prenups aren’t reserved only for the rich. Unfortunately, many couples are aware of this but refuse to get one.
It’s either because it’s too controversial and they don’t want to make the union about money!
However, if your marriage doesn’t work out and you both have to settle disputes, a prenup will be the perfect solution to your problems.
So, seek the best family lawyers to draw up one and discuss its terms with you both.
3. Live together for a while
In many countries, living together before marriage is normal. While in others, it’s mostly looked down on.
If your residing nation/state has legalized live-in relationships before marriage, then it’s always a good idea to try it.
It will make you understand your partner’s likes and dislikes. You will also get a taste of what to expect after marriage.
Even if you both have been dating for many years, people understand a few things only when they start living together.
And if you move in with each other after marriage and see that things aren’t working out, it can create quite a fuss.
4. Encourage effective communication
You and your partner should be able to express your thoughts freely without any fear of judgment or abuse.
Moreover, when one of you speaks about your thoughts, dreams, or fears, the other person must listen and understand patiently.
No partner in a relationship or marriage should feel afraid or embarrassed for speaking their thoughts out loud.
Encourage effective communication to make your marriage strong. If this is missing, practice it before you both get married.
5. Take an engagement trip
Though honeymoon trips are common, very few know of “engagement trips.” Well, these are also romantic trips, but they’re taken right after engagement and before marriage.
If you go on this trip, it will help you a lot to understand your partner on a deeper level. You will also know how to handle stressful situations.
Even if you both have taken trips together earlier, an engagement trip will help you decompress and determine which aspects of your future married life can be improved.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time on such a trip. Anything short, romantic, and meaningful will do the trick.
6. Know each other’s families
By now, you’ve probably visited your partner’s family multiple times. However, it might have only lasted until a nice chat with their parents or a fun day out.
But that isn’t all because marriage isn’t only about you or your partner. When you promise to love and cherish your better half, you also promise to understand each other’s families and social circles.
You never know when you might have to live with them or discuss important terms, such as property distribution and other assets. So, take time to seriously know their nature.
Moreover, family plays an important role after marriage. So, when you know your partner’s family, you also know your partner’s probable nature.
7. Have a conversation about kids
While discussing marriage, you might only communicate about wedding dresses or flower bouquets. But you must also talk about kids.
Check if your partner wants children someday or not. If yes, when and how many? It’s important because this decision can potentially alter both of your lives. After all, kids are a huge commitment, both personally and financially.
You don’t want to end up in an unpleasant situation with clashing opinions about kids or know the truth after getting pregnant.
8. Understand that your sex life can change
While this might be hard to swallow, it’s true. Before you both get married, sex can seem reckless, fun, and adventurous.
But after you both are legally committed to each other forever, sex can seem like a routine straight out of a notebook.
Your sex life can drastically change after marriage, especially after having children.
Therefore, it’s best to be straightforward before you tie the knot. Ask your partner whether they’ll be comfortable with the change or not.
If their response is no, ask them what you can do to help vamp up your sex lives again. Experiment with different positions and see what you both are comfortable with.
Over to you
Even though marriage is a beautiful thing, it can sometimes be hard. Therefore, make sure to discuss the above things with your spouse-to-be before rushing into the nuptials.