We talk a lot about weddings here on the blog and how to plan for the big day but what about planning for married life? Newlywed bliss is a wonderful thing, starting your lives together and enjoying this fresh phase of your lives. However to make the marriage work and last a life time there are many adjustments and changes within the first year of your marriage that you might want to prepare for. These transitions can offer a solid foundation for you and your loved one as you grow and overcome obstacles together. It’s you and your spouse against the world now — you’ve got this! Here are some things you can prepare for during your first year of marriage.

Photo by Desert Born Studios – full wedding here

1. Discuss the Holidays

Holidays before your wedding may have been spent separately or between families. Now that you have started your own family, you may want to consider creating some new traditions. You should discuss options with your spouse and decide which holidays will be spent with what side of the family. This can help you learn to compromise and better understand what is to come.

2. Set Expectations

You have probably discussed these issues before marriage, but sometimes they can slip through the cracks. When you’re in love and caught up with planning your big day, you can lose sight of your expectations for the rest of your lives.
Do you want children? When do you want to plan on having them? Are you going to take yearly vacations? How do you plan to budget for those? You can lay the groundwork for a successful marriage by discussing these issues honestly with your spouse, so everything is out in the open and you know what the other expects.

photo by  Memory Box Photo – full wedding here

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