Life often seems like a series of milestones that you are supposed to hit. For many, one of the more significant markers on the road of life is marriage. When you and your partner have been together for long enough, the topic of marriage is probably going to arise. Getting married is a great way to take your relationship to the next level. It is also not a decision to make lightly. You want to make sure both you and your partner are ready for all of the challenges and complications that can come from married life. Having open conversations with your partner before getting married is crucial to a lasting relationship. Explore some of these topics of conversation and get the ball rolling with your partner.

A Living Thing

One of the more important discussions to have with your significant other has to do with living arrangements. In the current day and age, couples tend to live together long before marriage. Still, there are plenty of couples who live separately throughout the duration of their dating years. Once you are married, you and your partner will most likely be living together. This means you need to have a general idea of what it will be like to cohabitate. If you don’t plan on living together before marriage, you at least need to talk about your habits.

Moving in with your partner after getting married can be thrilling, but it can also be like a bad episode of a sitcom. Learning your significant other leaves piles of dishes in the sink might seem like a small thing, but it can easily wear on you in no time at all. Talk to your partner about things like household duties, cleanliness, paying utilities, and anything else that might be relevant to sharing a space together. Having these open conversations will help to determine what kind of work you need to do to become compatible roommates.

Conflict Resolution

All couples fight and all couples fight in different ways. While most people do not enjoy arguing with their partners, it is quite healthy to disagree now and then. No one is perfect, and no relationship is free from a few fights once in a while. Of course, there are plenty of unhealthy ways to fight. Before deciding to get married, you should think about the way you and your partner handle arguments. Do you stand and face the situation, or do you both run away and forget about it until it all blows over?

If you find that you and your partner are not handling stressful situations in a healthy way, then it might be a good decision to discuss ways of improving your methods of resolving conflict. Find out what is not working and how you both can make it better. Often, having open conversations about conflict can be a healthy and productive way of resolving the situation and moving on. Find what works for both of you and strengthen your relationship together.

Money Troubles

Finally, you need to talk about finances. Nothing makes a couple fight more than money. When you and your partner are not being open and honest about financial transactions, it can lead to a lot of stress. Some couples have found that a great way to move forward with a relationship is by opening a joint checking account. This is an excellent way to track your spending together and save together for the future.

Relationships are tricky. The decision to get married is one that must come after a bit of planning and discussion. If you want to speak with your significant other about the possibility of tying the knot, be sure to talk about finances, living habits, and anything else that might be important in joining your lives together.