It’s one thing to get into a relationship; It’s another to get married. The former requires you and your partner to build a bond to achieve the latter. By having a strong bond, you can have a healthy marriage and won’t end in divorce.
The good news is that the divorce rate has been surprisingly declining since its 40-percent peak in the 1980s. This decline can get attributed to marrying the right person and ensuring a solid bond before getting married.
But what does it take to strengthen your relationship before tying the knot? Here are some relationship tips for you before getting married:
1. Understand the five languages of love
You may have heard and read the book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, written by Gary Chapman. It details the five typical ways people express love and want to receive love. These include affirmation words, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. It’s crucial to know and understand your and your partner’s language of love. That way, you know what to expect and how you can work on your relationship.
2. Show love and affection every day
It’s essential to express your love and show your affection to your loved one every day, not only during special occasions like Valentine’s Day. No, you don’t necessarily have to go sweet and mushy. Instead, you must take care of your loved one in simple ways during ordinary days. Unfortunately, it’s easy for people to neglect their partners in the long run once they know they love each other. It’s one reason the spark of the relationships gets dim along the way.
3. Get to know your partner deeply
There are some reasons relationships take years before couples decide to tie the knot. For the most part, they want to know each other deeply. Doing so will help them decide whether or not they will take the plunge into marriage. On your end, you want to ensure that you deeply know the person you will get married to—warts, zits, and all. The last thing you want to happen is to marry a person only to find out your partner is a narcissist or a psychopath.
4. Set bonding routines in place
As a couple looking to get married one day, you most likely spend most of the time with each other. If not, you and your partner may also be preoccupied with school, work, and life’s endeavors. If that’s the case, make sure to set bonding rituals so that you and your loved one can spend time with each other. For instance, consider watching movies together and dining out during days off or traveling to places during holidays.
5. Create healthy boundaries
While making time for each other is crucial, setting healthy boundaries is equally vital. Understand that your and your partner’s life and your partner don’t revolve around each other. You probably make time for your family, hang out with friends, and spend time with colleagues at work. It’s best to find a balance between having time with your loved one and making time for other important people in your life as well. That way, you and your partner won’t quickly and easily get sick and tired of each other.
6. Get to know each other’s family, friends, and colleagues
In line with creating healthy boundaries, you should find time to know your partner’s family, friends, and colleagues. You should consider doing this, most especially if you’re looking to tie the knot with your loved one anytime soon. Understand that marriage isn’t only a union of two individuals. It is also the union of two families for the celebration of love. To avoid conflicts in the future, build good relationships with the people who matter in your partner’s life.
7. Think about, prepare, and work for your future
There’s a difference between couples enjoying the relationships and those thinking about the future. The latter has no other direction than tying the knot one day. If you’re looking to marry the person you’re in a relationship with now, start thinking about the future. While at it, begin preparing for the wedding and marital life. As early as now, think of a wedding theme, search for wedding venues, look for a bridal gown, and get some wedding inspiration. Lastly, work towards achieving a bright future with your loved one. For instance, work hard and save up, build and advance your career, and invest in a property, car, and other assets.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you now know how to strengthen your relationship before getting married. Consider the relationship tips recommended above, from understanding the five languages of love down to thinking about, preparing, and working for the future. By doing so, you can build a solid relationship foundation that no storm can ever ruin once you finally tie the knot. Ultimately, you and your partner will end up with a blissful marital life you both deserve!
