You just got married to that special someone who makes your heart race, your body sweat, and your mind lose all other thoughts. While you love each other dearly, the first year living together can create a few hiccups. Who’s doing the cooking, the cleaning, and the shopping, are a few items that will come in to play. The first year of marriage is a learning experience where both parties will learn how to work together and compromise to make each other happy.

Home Decor

 

You may not think it’s a big deal to set up your home before your wedding day, however, it is. Your color palette may consist of pinks where your spouse prefers red and blue. There are also many different decor styles. Your spouse may love antique furniture and you may prefer shabby chic. Setting up your home before living together will give you time to work through the differences and come to a compromise. The most important thing is to make space a place that both parties feel good about. 

Divide and Conquer

There are many chores in a home. There’s laundry, dusting, dishes, and vacuuming to name a few. You may like to do laundry where your spouse enjoys vacuuming. The best approach to maintaining your home is to divide the chores and conquer them. Cooking meals is a time when the two of you can take turns. Or, you can create meals together. 

Handling the Bills

When two people become married, it’s usually one person that handles the bills, the one that’s better with managing money. However, in recent times, much of the younger generation keep their own bills and contribute to things like the mortgage or rent, utilities, and food. While one checkbook is easier to manage, so long as it works for your situation, having separate accounts is doable. 

Consulting Each Other

Probably one of the most important elements in a marriage is communication. Before you purchase anything of substance, you should consult with each other and make the final decision together. Purchasing a car, new furniture, and planning a vacation are a few examples. Keeping the line of communication open will create a strong, unifying bond.  Open and honest dialogue not only strengthens your relationship but also helps avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary conflicts. Discussing prewedding topics to talk about, such as financial goals, family expectations, and personal aspirations, sets the tone for a successful partnership. Establishing this foundation early can ensure you’re both on the same page as you move forward together in life.

Special Interests

 

You or your spouse may have something you enjoy doing that the other does not. It may be bowling, woodworking, or reading. Regardless of what it is, having the ability to continue to do it is essential to a healthy marriage. Once you place restrictions on what they can do, you create a wall between the two of you. If you don’t have a hobby, find one. Think of what you enjoy doing and perform that hobby when your spouse is doing theirs. 

Find Time for Romance

Don’t let the fact that you live together erase the feelings you had when you were dating. Keep the romance alive. Plan a special candlelight dinner for two, take a day off and stay home and do silly things that make each other happy. Be spontaneous. Not every event needs planning. Try new things together and have lasting fun memories that you’ll cherish for many years to come. 

Open up to Each Other

Some people simply keep their emotions inside. Unfortunately, when they do release them, it’s usually too late. Make a promise to each other that if something is bothering you, that you will let the other one know. This way something small won’t snowball into a major event that can cost you your marriage. 

The first year of marriage is exciting and new. If you learn to compromise, be open with your feelings, take care of the home together, and keep the romance alive, you’ll get through it with flying colors.