5 Important Conversations to Have Before Your Wedding Day

Planning a wedding can be stressful and time-consuming with so many details to consider. From choosing a venue or picking out flowers, to deciding on a menu and debating between band or DJ, other important topics tend to get lost amongst the chaos.

There are some conversations that may need to be had before officially tying the knot. These conversations can help ensure that both you and your partner are on the same page before the big day. Here are five essential topics to discuss before saying "I do."

1. Finances

Money can be a major source of stress in a relationship. It is crucial to have an open, honest discussion about finances before legally getting married. Talk about individual financial situations, any debt that one person may have, spending habits, whether to combine bank accounts or not, how you will budget, and how you will save.

Along with this conversation comes the topic of values. We tend to spend more money on things we personally value (future children, houses, vacations, etc.). Being aligned with similar values will help the relationship flourish.

2. Goals

You will want to have a clear picture of each other's personal goals and aspirations. Discuss where you see yourself in five, ten, or twenty years. Do you both want children? How many? What would your career look like in the future? Would you ever move out of state?

While it's normal to have differing goals, it is important that they align in a way where you can both achieve what you want while still being together. Sometimes our aspirations require a lot of sacrifice from ourselves and the people we love. If your partner is unwilling or unable to make these sacrifices with you, marriage may not be the best decision.

3. Communication Styles

Effective communication is key to a healthy marriage. Along with communication is how you solve problems. In a marriage, it is inevitable to fight and argue with each other. Learning how to have these difficult conversations is important in order to make the marriage last.

Work through any potential barriers with communication and identify ways to improve these techniques. Discuss how you plan on handling disagreements, especially when it comes to differing opinions on decisions you may have to make about your futures.

4. Family Dynamics

Families play a huge role in marriage. You're essentially combining your families together, so it will be beneficial to have a clear understanding of each other's family dynamics. Bring to light any conflict within your families and how this may impact the relationship between the two of you.

How will you handle holidays or family gatherings? How do you both envision your families fitting into your lives together? Being on the same page about families may help when conflicts arise, especially during stressful times like planning a wedding.

5. Expectations for Marriage

Before the big day, you will want to have a conversation about what marriage means to each of you, and what you expect it to look like. Identifying roles and responsibilities as partners may change the relationship dynamic and it will be important to discuss if these changes are positive or negative.

How will you plan on supporting one another through the lows and highs of life? Intimacy is also an important thing to discuss. If you feel the spark starting to fade, how will you work on rekindling it? Having these conversations can help set the foundation for a healthy and fulfilling marriage.

A great resource for couples talking about marriage would be to seek premarital counseling. Therapists can help guide these conversations effectively and mediate the dialogue between one another. If you believe counseling would benefit your relationship, reach out and schedule a session today for premarital counseling.