Congratulations on taking the big step towards your union. If you are reading this blog you would probably be engaged with the love of your life. Well, the next step is getting married. The celebration of your nuptials are not just an amalgamation of declaring vows, having great drinks and food and dancing the night away, but so much more than that. Wedding marks the beginning of one of the most beautiful phases of your life.
But before getting pronounced partners for the rest of your life, it is extremely important that you both discuss what your marriage is going to look like. Planning, preparing and communicating before marriage is essential in smoothening the way for a happy, satisfying and prosperous married life.
There are a lot of things to do before you get married. Some are fun and some are quite necessary. They might feel like a task and a little monotonous but are equally important to steer clear of any bumps in your married life ahead.
Define Marriage
Different people have different visions of marriage. For some it might be like two best friends living together while for some it may be another loving form of commitment in terms of spirituality and emotions. This is why understanding what marriage to your significant other looks like is important.
When you will have open conversations about it, you will get to know their feelings, expectations and perspectives regarding this long term union. Discuss everything including your wedding planning, how you would handle mishaps on the big day, guest experience and initial days of marriage. This will give you a fair idea of what's in store for you. Remember, you must try giving equal thought to both of your opinions while being open to compromises in preparing for a wedding.
Understand Your Preferences and Psychological Health
Your mind is a complex arrangement of logic, preferences and emotions. It is a place that will be ever-shifting for the rest of your life. A practice that goes a long way when it comes to marriages is understanding who you are and what you like and dislike. Once you are self aware, it becomes easier to understand your mind and the same about your partner.
However this does not have to be a chore. You don’t necessarily have to sit down and understand each preference your partner has. This already comes into picture as soon as you start your wedding planning. For example, when it comes to wedding venues, you might like an LA wedding, while your partner might like a peaceful riverside wedding. For the wedding decoration you might want to go with minimalist flower decoration, while their heart would be set at a luxurious decoration theme. This is where some compromisation and understanding should be practiced. Remember, everyone is different and when it comes to the person you love more than a disagreement, clashes of thoughts can always be managed.
Another thing to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to explore psychological health. Some people may have a lifelong struggle with anxiety, a new problem with anger, a tendency to get depressed, or poor conflict management skills. They might come with some psychological baggage or the other. Hence it is essential that you understand such issues if your partner has some. You don’t need to necessarily fix them to ensure a healthy marriage. Just having a keen understanding and an empathetic approach to their sensitive trigger points and areas of improvement does half the job.
Staying Strong and Healthy Together
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a couple requires commitment, but it can be fun and rewarding. One great way to stay consistent is by investing in a home gym. Adding equipment like squat racks or power racks allows you to exercise whenever it suits your schedule, making it easier to prioritize fitness without the need for a gym membership or commute.
Go grocery shopping together and try to buy as much greens, proteins and vitamins as possible. Explore new flavors and foods together. Look up some recipes. It can be steak, lobster bisque, or anything you want to try and cook, then have a fun dinner or lunch time. Another thing to continue a healthy lifestyle is to exercise regularly. Sync up your calendars and get on the same page to exercise achieving your fitness goals together.
Being a healthy couple doesn't mean giving up on your favorite foods. Plan to enjoy a special dinner, dessert or cocktail then take the time to really savor it and have a fun time with each other.
Financial Planning and Future Mapping
This is one of the most important things to discuss and plan before your wedding. Have open discussions about how you both treat money and finances. Ask them about their financial health and whether they have the knowledge to be financially disciplined. Having a healthy relationship with money as a couple before marriage may reduce the odds of money disagreements.
Things that involve discussions on marriage and money involve where you will live, what is your career path and investing practices. Knowing your partner's finances before marriage can help you avoid later money surprises.
Make a financial plan, set goals and track your progress over time. While talking about money may not be romantic, it should be made a regular practice. It can be an opportunity to share excitement about where you want your future to go and identify places where you need to settle in a middle ground.
Ways of Communicating
Every relationship faces bumps along the road in the way of arguments and fights, but only communication and compromise make things better. Hence it is important to communicate and steer clear of any misunderstandings.
Different people are bound to have a variety of opinions, ideas and thinking processes. A disagreement doesn’t have to always end in a fight. Learn to respect your partner’s thoughts while also putting your opinion forward. Smooth communication helps in reducing fights, strengthening the marriage and a happy life.
