❤️ Prepare for marriage– it’s important to plan ahead for after the big day.

💍 Considering breaking off your engagement? Think through what’s best for you.

✅ 5 do’s & don’ts to help you get ready for married life.

🔍 A glimpse at how your relationship will change after marriage.

🗣️ If the arguments seem constant, work through with these tips.

preparing for marriage can make your relationship stronger

Your wedding day is approaching. You’re looking forward to all the benefits of a fun, stable, vibrant marriage: deep intimacy, unbreakable connection, and unconditional friendship. Taking the time to prepare for your marriage can help you mix all the ingredients necessary for a strong relationship and satisfying marriage.

It can make your relationship stronger, and can take many forms: premarital education and premarital counseling are the most direct and intentional methods. Research from Scott Stanley and others has shown that couples who receive premarital preparation are less likely to divorce.

Preparing for your marriage will not only give you a head start to a thriving marriage, just as importantly, it will also strengthen your relationship in the process. A strong relationship is just the ingredient you need for a thriving marriage.

keys to effective communication in your relationship

What are the keys to effective communication? Well, research on what makes marriage work shows that happy and healthy couples have a ratio of 5:1 positive to negative behaviors in their relationship.

This means there are five times as many positive interactions between happy couples (i.e., listening, validating the other person, using soft words, expressing appreciation, affirmation, physical affection, compliments, etc.) as there are negative (i.e., raising one’s voice, stating a complaint, or expressing one’s anger).

tips for improving communication for your future marriage:

💚 Be intentional about spending time together.

💚 Use more “I” statements and less “You” statements.

💚 Be specific.

💚 Avoid mind-reading.

💚 Express negative feelings constructively.

💚 Listen without being defensive.

💚 Freely express positive feelings.