If you and your partner feel ready to take the next step and settle down into married life, there’s a few things you might want to be sure about before you take the plunge. After all, it’s always better to know what you’re both thinking and feeling ahead of time, no matter how long the two of you have been together!
Don’t let any of this come as a surprise. Give yourselves a chance to air your thoughts, wants, and concerns by having a properly open and honest conversation about marriage before you get engaged. Here are three points to include in the conversation.
Do You Want Kids?
This is quite possibly the biggest conversation you’ll ever have, and while you may have talked about the possibility of children, now’s the time to double down on your stance. Do you want kids? Do you not want them? How about your partner? Or maybe you’re both of the mind that if they happen that’s OK, and if they don’t that’s also OK?
Whatever it is you feel about creating a family of your own, make sure you’re both on the same page. If one feels one way and the other feels another, it might be very hard to feel enriched within your marriage if you still go ahead. Many a couple have broken up because of this, and because they haven’t properly talked about it, so make sure this is the first thing you tackle.
How Will You Handle Finances?
Entering into a marriage without any idea how the finances are going to work is never a good idea. You need to know what you’re both bringing in, how you’re going to contribute, and whether or not you should consider a prenup to ensure you’re looked after should anything go wrong.
You should also talk about opening up a joint account for the two of you to put money in maybe every week or once a month, which is where your mortgage and/or rent payments will come from. Seriously, lock down this arrangement right now to make sure neither of you feel like you’re putting more in than the other.
What Will Married Life Look Like?
Married life takes conscious effort to keep you both satisfied. It’s not a case of things magically working out once you’ve said your vows. Whatever is working for you right now needs to be kept up with! Make sure you talk about this as well.
What do you both want out of marriage? What does it mean to the both of you? You probably have slightly different images about the future ahead – use a conversation like this to make sure these ideals line up with each other.
If you’re talking about marriage right now, don’t let the important conversations fall by the wayside. Make sure you get these points out in the open and have a serious discussion. Once you have, you can get to planning out your big day!
