{"id":16475,"date":"2017-08-04T11:20:03","date_gmt":"2017-08-04T11:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=16475"},"modified":"2026-03-20T06:34:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:34:06","slug":"preparing-for-your-big-day-wedding-and-the-road-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/pre-marriage\/preparing-for-your-big-day-wedding-and-the-road-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for Your Big Day- Wedding and the Road Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Preparing<\/p>\n

Soon to be married? Here are certain things to consider before getting married.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the excitement of how to prepare for a wedding<\/span>, couples can easily focus too much on the idea of a “wedding” and neglect what “marriage” truly means. That would be a mistake. <\/span><\/p>\n

A wedding is over in a few hours. A marriage lasts a lifetime.<\/strong> Yet so many people spend months preparing for a wedding<\/span> without giving much thought into how they might create a beautiful marriage.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some things to do before marriage that would help you in preparing for marriage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>Get to know each other deeply<\/span><\/h2>\n

The average time between the first date and the wedding is about 25 months. That is two years in which couples go from “hello” to “I do.” Use that time to learn about your partner.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Some things to do before you get married would be to t<\/a><\/span>ravel together, do challenging things together, put yourselves in situations where you aren’t your best, and see how you each handle the other when you are tired, cranky, sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would this help you in preparing for marriage?<\/p>\n

Through these experiences, you would see how your partner reacts to good news and bad news, how do they deal with stress<\/strong>, with unknown situations, with variables that they can’t control.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can tell a lot about how your married life<\/a> will be as you discover each other over a period of time. Don’t let the sparks of infatuation blind you to any red flags.  <\/span><\/p>\n

And when those red flags show up (and they will), address them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking things will disappear once you are married. <\/span><\/p>\n

When getting ready for marriage, t<\/span>alking about these issues is a perfect exercise for the type of communication skills you will need during your married life.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Pay attention to how you work through these things now, before you are married. If you have trouble with conflict resolution<\/a>, it may be a sign that you need to bring in some outside support in the form of a pre-marital counselor.  <\/span><\/p>\n

A counselor can help you get ready for marriage by <\/span>teaching you the tools needed to work through issues in a productive way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recommended<\/strong> – Pre Marriage Course<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Discuss what you expect from marriage<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

What are the things to talk about before marriage? You can start by discussing your expectations form your marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you date and get to know each other well, one conversation you will want to return to often is that of expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you view married life? How will you divide the household tasks? What would your budget look like? If your earning powers are unequal, will that dictate who pays for what, or how much you will put aside for savings?  <\/span><\/p>\n

What are your expectations in terms of family planning, children, and childcare? What role should religion play in your married life?  <\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing each other’s expectations is helpful in forming the type of marriage that satisfies both of you<\/strong>, so keep the dialogue open, both before and after the wedding.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Discussing your expectations from a marriage<\/a> would also help in understanding how to prepare for marriage financially.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also watch:<\/strong><\/p>\n