18 Important Factors You Need to Consider Before Saying "I Do"

Marriage is one of the most life-changing decisions of anyone’s life. It doesn’t just affect your relationship status — it can also impact your daily life, goals, and even your career. If you are struggling to decide on getting married, you should think about these factors. They will help you decide whether you are in the right state to get married or if you should wait a bit longer. However, these factors might be different for everyone, depending on their personal, cultural, and social background.

Being Financially Secure

Marriage is a partnership that needs a solid or stable financial base to grow. Although financial stability may not be the main criterion for most marriages, you should be able to support yourself and your spouse enough to manage the household before settling down.

Lifestyle Compatibility

Stepping into marriage without considering your partner’s lifestyle is a huge gamble. People often end up feeling stuck when their partner’s lifestyles are too different because it extends beyond just hobbies and interests. Lifestyle encompasses everything from habits to routines. So before you tie the knot, gauge how compatible your lifestyles are and whether you share the same values.

When You’ve Move Past Your Traumas

If you’re struggling with any form of trauma or are unable to move on from a past relationship, it’s best to hold off on marriage. It’s unfair to tie down with someone when unsure of personal stability. However, if you feel mentally secure, it’s time to think about marriage.

Pursue Your Educational Goals

A higher education might delay a marriage for some people, but it boosts their career and personal development. While marriages might delay education entirely, many people regret abandoning their education because they cannot pursue it later. It’s best to fulfill your educational goals before getting married.

Emotional Maturity

People in their late twenties or older can better handle turbulence and unexpected obstacles in a marriage. Regulating your emotions and handling things with emotional maturity is essential in managing relationship issues and supporting your partner. Take care of this before you make that commitment.

Talk About Dealing With Conflict

Every couple argues sometimes, so it’s key to chat about how you’ll deal with disagreements before getting married. Share how each of you reacts when stressed, and talk about the best ways to communicate when things get tough. Figuring out how to resolve issues calmly and respectfully will help keep your relationship strong over time.

Learning From The Past

Whether good or bad, past relationship experiences teach us a lot. Although we’re all looking for the one, settling down immediately without learning from your mistakes might be worse in the long run because marriage is an entirely new territory. You might want to consider what didn’t work before and how to proceed this time.

Aligning Life Goals With Your Partner

Since marriage is a partnership, it is important that your and your partner’s life goals align. If you have a separate vision of the future or struggle to align with your partner’s, don’t jump into a marriage until you are on the same page. Couples with similar goals are more likely to have successful marriages.

Childbearing Plans

Unless you’ve decided to be childless, it’s essential to discuss childbearing plans with your partner because marriage typically precedes them. Discuss family values, share possible plans, and even peak fertility age to come up with a timeline that works for you before saying yes.

Establish Your Career

Suppose you’re seeing a possible promotion in the future or a step up the career ladder that might make managing a marriage difficult. In that case, it’s best to hold off on the latter until you and your partner have a more established career. Couples with established careers reportedly have a higher chance of maintaining a happy marriage.

Being Independent

Marriage creates a public mutual identity for the people involved. While maintaining this mutual identity is essential, so is keeping a personal identity. People who take the time to establish an individual identity (typically in their late twenties to thirties) have healthier relationships and thus manage their marriages better.

Don’t Feel Pressurized

Society tends to put a lot of pressure on unmarried people, especially if they’ve been dating for a long time or have started to hit their thirties. It is important to remember that a person’s ideal age for marriage is subjective; don’t jump the gun just because your relatives are nagging you to get married.

Love And Commitment

Make sure your love and commitment to each other are rock solid. Marriage is a huge step, and it should come from a place of genuine love and the desire to build a future together. Take a moment to really think about your feelings and make sure you’re both truly ready for this big adventure.

Hobbies And Interests

Sharing hobbies and interests is a great way to strengthen your bond. Talk about your favorite activities and find some common interests you both enjoy. Balancing time for your individual hobbies with things you can do together helps you stay connected. It also makes sure you have fun and meaningful experiences as a couple.

The Ideal Age

An ideal age to get married is between your late twenties and mid-thirties. However, personal identity, financial security, emotional maturity, etc., are subjective. A person in their early twenties can settle down well, too, and so is it for someone in their late forties. It all comes down to when you are ready.

Time Together

Have you spent enough quality time together to truly know each other? Time spent together can solidify your bond. The more experiences you share, the stronger your relationship becomes. Make sure you’ve seen each other in various situations and understand how you both handle life’s ups and downs.

Follow Your Gut Feeling

Trust your gut when considering marriage. If you feel a deep sense of peace and certainty about your partner, it’s a good sign you’re ready. Your intuition is a powerful guide and often picks up on things your mind might miss. Listen to that inner voice and weigh it alongside everything else.

Get Married When You Feel Like It

Ultimately, you shouldn’t marry because of external influence. It’s best to marry when you feel secure in all aspects of life and are sure you’ll be able to carry a social contract like marriage and give the relationship and your partner the proper justice. Don’t rush into a marriage until you’re finally ready.