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Owner of Weddings in Vieques, a destination-wedding planning company off the coast of Puerto Rico, Sandy Malone has helped countless couples plan their big day since 2007. Here, the veteran planner is sharing some expert advice for free: She's breaking down the top three things you should know about your fiancé prior to getting married.
Before you take that walk down the aisle, make sure you really, truly know everything you about your future spouse. Of course, you will learn something new every single day of marriage, but there are some critical things you should be absolutely certain about before you take that big legal step to merge your lives.
1. Where do you each see yourselves in five years? Do you both want children? Do you want a vacation home? Does your fiancé long to relocate to the Pacific Northwest, but all your family is in New England? While it may sound cliché to ask what your long-term goals are, marriage is supposed to be forever. You shouldn't be signing on for life if you can't even agree on a five-year plan.
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2. Know your fiancé's financial status — and not just what the paystub says. You join souls and credit reports when you get married. What's yours is his, what's his is yours — debts included. Make sure you know exactly how much you each owe in student loans, credit card statements, medical bills, mortgages, and everything in between. Debt isn't a reason to not marry someone, but it's something you should be clear about before you become husband and wife.
3. Can the two of you compromise when you disagree about something important? Jobs often require relocation, health decisions can be daunting, and there are harder things to face as you get older. If planning your wedding has you fighting more than ever before, you may not be ready to get married and deal with real life challenges just yet. Marriage requires compromise — from each of you — on a daily basis.