Getting married is a wildly exciting new chapter to embark in your life. It signifies a new level of maturity and partnership that can really help you flourish.
But it’s also a huge decision that might require a checklist before taking the big leap.
If you are planning to get married to the love of your life or have started thinking about marriage, then this would be a very exciting time for yourself.
Instead of blindly getting married, make sure that you discuss the below points with your would-be spouse so that you can easily manage any hiccups in the future:
1. Travel together!
We don’t just mean a weekend away at the cottage. Take a long vacation or an international adventure together that will challenge the limits of your relationship in different contexts.
2. Move in together
Getting married before you live together is a disaster waiting to happen, even though it’s quite normal in many cultures. Getting used to someone’s quirks is an important part of living in harmony and not fighting all the time.
3. Understand each other’s values such as politics and religion
These are topics that one usually avoids on a first date but that are very necessary for an engaged couple to discuss so that their future is aligned.
4. Talk about if you want kids
This can be a sticky subject for many, but if you guys are in it for the long haul, it’s a chat that needs to be had. Compromises might need to be made depending on how invested you are in the decision.
5. Talk about any name changes, such as if one of you will change their last name
This lack of discussion surprisingly causes rifts between people, even though it seems like a somewhat banal decision to many.
6. Got to know the most important people in each other’s lives all inner circles
Take a class or embark on a new experience that takes you both out of comfort zone, such as a cooking workshop, TED talk, or skydiving.
7. Have a few major fights
Feeling should never be repressed and fighting is healthy for a relationship. If you save it all for post-marriage, the divorce could be looming closer than you think.
8. Make sure that you discuss finances
This is another big cause of divorce or fighting in newly married couples. Have either of you amassed any debt? Are you ok with sharing a checking account?
