When you're dating someone, thinking about marriage is a LOT. You're about to combine lives, and families, and bank accounts. So there are a million things to worry about. But there are also some ways to prepare yourself.
Here are a few questions you should ask your partner BEFORE you get married . . .
1. "How should we handle money?" Are we going to get a joint bank account? Who's going to put the bills in their name? How much debt do you have and what's our plan to get out of debt? All important decisions.
2. "How should we divide the chores?" 50/50 seems best unless one person works a lot more. Then the person who's not working as much might offer to pick up the slack.
3. "How are we going to handle disagreements?" Try pretend fighting, and see how it goes. If it turns into a REAL fight, that's a big clue you have issues to work out first.
4. "Are you open to couples therapy if we need it?" Being able to communicate what you are and aren't comfortable with is important.
5. "Where will we spend the holidays?" Will you do Thanksgiving with one family, and Christmas at another? Again, it's best to plan way ahead. Traditions are hard to break, and people get sensitive about the holidays.
6. "Do you want kids? And how will we parent?" Just make sure you're both on the same page, because it's one of the MOST important things to talk about.