We recently participated in the Jacksonville Bridal Fantasy Show, and I have to say, it we had a blast.
There’s nothing like being in a room filled with 500 excited, anxious brides, filled with hope and aspirations for their future with Mr. Right–and most of them were accompanied by their bests, and their mothers or future mothers-in-law. All of them looking to find great deals and vendors.
I had the privilege of speaking to the brides right before each fashion show of the day, and answer a few relationship questions. It was encouraging to see that so many of the brides were thinking long term about not just the wedding day, but about the lifelong journey of marriage.
Many of the questions that brides asked centered around managing in-laws, rules for handling conflict, and setting rules for social media in their relationship. The common theme of most of the questions? Expectations.
Specifically, managing the potential issues that might arise due to unmet expectations. It’s of little surprise that the first year of marriage is sometimes considered the hardest. Many people enter into marriage not knowing what to expect—or, they expect their marriage to be like what they’ve seen in their parents’ relationship.
All too often, brides and grooms often immerse themselves in wedding planning, which takes their focus away from planning a life together. Such oversight can lead to disastrous consequences for partners who later may wonder whom they really married. Problems often arise unexpectedly because couples do not prepare well for marriage. Some have not invested enough time in getting to know the person they are marrying or have not explored their individual philosophies about family, fidelity, finances and fighting, among other topics.
To help you better prepare for marriage, here’s a link to our expectations conversation starter. I encourage you to take some time to read it and discuss it with your fiancé. I think it’ll make you better prepared for the lifelong journey ahead!
I’d love to hear your feedback about how the expectations conversation starter guide helped you and your fiancé! Please comment below!
