Being engaged is an exciting time in life! The engaged couple eagerly awaits learning more about each other and anticipates spending the rest of their lives together. Any healthy relationship requires time and preparation in order for it to thrive and grow, and marriage is no exception. Every couple goes into their marriage expecting it to be great; however, a marriage that does not have a firm and steady foundation will lead to both people being bitter and resentful. Creating a healthy marriage that will continue to be strong in every situation is the goal for every new couple.
A marriage, as with any other relationship, goes through different seasons, and some are more challenging than others. In order to best prepare for marriage, the couple needs healthy tools and resources so they can continue to nurture and grow their relationship no matter what season they are in. Here are a few tips to help an engaged couple begin their marriage in the right direction.
- Find a counselor who does pre-marital counseling. It will provide the couple with a greater understanding of how to communicate with one another. They will learn healthy and effective ways to talk about expectations, family of origin, parenting, sexual expectations, finances, and many other topics.
- The couple needs to establish and discuss healthy expectations going into marriage.
- Form safe and healthy relationships and boundaries with family and friends.
- Keep an open mind about your partner. You can always learn something new about them and from them.
- Men most desire respect in a relationship, and women mostly long for love. There will be a continual conflict if either partner’s needs are not being met in the relationship.
- Recognize and talk through anything that might cause either partner to be defensive.
- Believing the best about a partner will go a long way.
- A wife who refusing to bad mouth her husband to her friends will create a safe and healthy marriage.
- Establish a foundation of healthy habits and patterns for marriage in the first year. That foundation will allow the marriage to grow stronger every year.
It is important for the couple to remember that marriage is a relationship that will require hard work and effort. The hard work of communicating expectations and desires with the other will pay off because it will create a healthy relationship. Both people working together harmoniously will allow for each person’s unique skills and abilities to shine through and be used beautifully and instrumentally in their marriage.