10 great dates before you say "I do"
 

Do you believe you have found that special someone to spend the rest of your life?  Are you wondering how you can be certain that this is the right person for you?

David and Claudia Arp and Curt and Natelle Brown found that many seriously dating and engaged couples were wondering the same thing.

“In many of our seminars, couples told us they were in love and wanted to feel confident that they could make their relationship work,” said David and Claudia Arp co-authors of 10 Great Dates Before You Say “I Do.”  “While there are no total guarantees,  there are certain areas couples can look at ahead of time that will give them a good indication about the potential longevity of their relationship. We wrote this book with seriously dating couples and engaged couples in mind.  For seriously dating couples, the dates give them specific areas to focus on to help them determine if they should take the next step in their relationship.  For couples who are already engaged, it is great preparation for marriage.”

When you are starry-eyed in love it is hard to imagine that any differences in opinion could really cause a rift in your relationship.  After the Arps were married, the honeymoon was over and their hormones settled down they discovered that marriage was not quite what they had expected.  Little things irritated them. 

Couples who have gone through the 10 dates were surprised to find there were a number of things they had not discussed that could be cause for irritation.  For example, one couple discovered they didn’t agree on how to decorate their house.  Another couple didn’t believe it was important to talk about how they will handle their combined income. 

“We looked for fun and creative ways to cover topics such as sharing hopes, dreams and expectations and appreciating your differences to managing your money and celebrating intimacy in your relationship,” said the Arps.  “It was important to us to help couples talk about things they might not otherwise discuss.”  

Marriage preparation can help couples make better decisions about whether or not they are ready to be married to each other at this time.  The 10 great dates give couples a road map to help them get to know each other better.   

What are your expectations for your marriage?  Here are a few expectations the
Arps heard from couples contemplating marriage:

I expect my partner to always understand and encourage me.
Our marriage will always make us happy.
We will talk about everything, and therefore we will avoid serious disputes.
With two incomes, we will be financially secure – especially since two can live almost as cheaply as one.
Our love life will always be exciting and satisfying.
I expect my mate to meet my needs—to be a lot like me.
“Obviously, these people were shocked when their mates were unable to live up to
their expectations,” said Mr. Arp.  “It is hard enough to meet expectations when we know what they are, but it is impossible when we don’t.”

Any couple that has been married for a period of time will tell you that even in the best of relationships these expectations would be hard to live up to.  Marriage is a choice. 

If you want to get your marriage off to a great start, do yourself a favor and take the time to go through these dates and/or participate in marriage education classes.  Hopefully, these activities will help you understand each other better so you can make wise relationship choices now and in your marriage in the future.