What To Do Before You Get Married

Some people get swept up in all the romance and excitement of getting married because having parties thrown in your honor can make you forget that marriage changes things for both parties drastically, even in this modern world.

I married my husband after knowing him for 6 years and I was happy to have waited until I was a little older to take the plunge. I was able to do many things that would have most definitely strained our marriage to pursue.

                Lay some ground rules. Before you cross over into what’s traditionally expected of you, make some private promises to each other. As funny as it sounds, agreeing upon who will take the garbage out and who will clean up after dinner before “I do” will help you dodge more than a few meaningless arguments. For example, I can’t cook and I hate cleaning, but thankfully, I have a husband who doesn’t expect me to change who I am because of a ring.

                Fall off the grid. When you’re married—or even in a serious relationship—disappearing for a few days will get your picture on every news report from coast-to-coast. If you try to vacation away from your spouse, you could be in for some serious resentment. But when you’re single, no matter where you choose to go, a solo trip will buy you days of serenity. Spending a few days camping in the mountains or even going to South America to paddle down the Amazon isn’t out of the picture for a single person.

            Have sleepovers. When we get to college, it’s still acceptable to have a sleepover or two during a stint in the dorms and/or apartments. But when you’re married, it’s a little awkward to ask your spouse if they mind having someone who isn’t family to spend the night and listen to your raucous laughter over Monty Python until the early morning hours. Sleepovers are a rite of passage, really. Not taking advantage of that life staple will rob you of some of your owed memories.

Marriage isn’t the end of freedom as some people fear it is. There are many different types of people in the world, and if you’re lucky, you’ll find the right person for you—someone who might not be offended if you want to do things a little differently. After all, sometimes he's just that much better at cooking so we ladies have to take the garbage out. It's only fair.