5 Things You Should Consider Before Getting Married

You’ve begun to look at engagement rings. You’re researching carats, natural diamonds, and synthetic diamonds. You’re ready to meet a gemologist and are hoping for some good news when you pop the question. Before you get carried away and have a diamond ring in hand, consider the following.

Are you in the right career?

One of the biggest stressors for newlyweds is your shared financial situation. Are you on a career path that allows you to provide for your family? Do you need a new career or to make an important career choice in the near future?

You may want to consider career counseling. By working with a career counselor or career coach, you’re setting yourself up for success, no matter your decision. Career counseling is also great for those who feel they’ve grown stagnant at their current workplace or feel as though they need career guidance to correct a professional weakness or two.

To set both yourself and your marriage up for a good experience in the financial and career development departments, reach out to a career counselor. Organizations like the Therapy Group of DC cite the importance of feeling passion and purpose for both current employees and those looking to make a change in their career development path and the impact it can have on both your life and your spouse’s.

Have you picked out a ring?

Not everybody is the same, and whoever you’re considering marrying probably has specific tastes. Of course, you probably also know that not all rings are crafted equally and, sometimes, going to one of the big-box jewelry stores like Zales won’t quite cut it in terms of carat, selection, and alternative jewelry on display. If you want to pick out jewelry that will truly stun your significant other, brands like Agape Diamonds understand that an engagement ring (and after, a wedding ring) needs to sparkle and show off the brilliance of the one you love. From white gold settings to pendants that sparkle with personality, Agape Diamonds is sure to get your fiance compliments. Not convinced? Read an Agape Diamond review to learn more about their strengths which include gorgeous jewels and top-tier customer service.

Keeping It Friendly

While marriage represents you both as a unit, you still need to have our own lives. Sometimes that means your future spouse attending a workplace happy hour on a Friday night. Maybe for you, it looks more like hanging out with fellow college alumni on the weekends. It’s possible that this is your first time linking your lives so tightly so if your relationship is the real thing, you need to understand how to operate both together and separately.

What about kids?

Speaking of those aforementioned career goals, you both also need to be on the same page when it comes to having children. For your fiance, being a full-time parent might be a strong personal feeling. On the other hand, many parents-to-be want to retain independence and pursue the advancement of their career choices. Even though career counseling services may not be able to tell you whether or not kids are in the cards, it’s still a conversation you and your fiance need to have.

Location, location…you get the gist.

Maybe you met in college. Maybe you crossed paths while one of you was interviewing for a career change. Maybe you’re the current employee of a store where your fiance is a regular. Regardless of where you were when you met, it’s important to it’s not necessarily where you’ll always live. If one of you wants to move to New York to pursue the wider career options and the other wants to stay close to family, it’s important to have a mutual agreement. Try to role play. Treat it like a mock interview of sorts. If that doesn’t work, a counselor may be able to help.

Marriage isn’t easy but it also shouldn’t be a constant battle. Make sure you and your spouse-to-be are on the same page on the big subjects. It creates a stronger foundation for the years to come.