Are You Ready to Get Married?

Many of us are in love with the romance of marriage, but have not considered the practicalities. When we are in love, we also have a tendency to project onto our prospective mates an idealized image without really getting to know the whole person. How much do you really know about your mate? Do you have the same desires, goals, values or do you think that differences don't matter and love conquers all? In the first rosy days of married life that may be true, but under stress and in the crunch of real-life decision-making, it is our differences that can cause major disagreements.

The following two checklists offer important questions for you and your prospective partner to think and talk about. The first list contains an excellent sample of 38 questions about important issues  Marriage Readiness Test

The second reference
A Pre-Marriage Checklist to Determine Readiness
is an article that narrows the list and comments on why these topics are important e.g." Do we both want children? Even if it’s a far-off goal, it’s extremely important to clearly and openly discuss the possibility of children with your potential spouse.  There are so many things in a marriage you can compromise about, but if one of you desperately wants children and the other desperately doesn’t, there’s really no compromise for that.  (Trust me, getting a puppy isn’t meeting halfway…)".
 
So, if you and your boyfriend/girlfriend are starting to think about getting engaged or married, before you make any plans, TALK TO EACH OTHER OPENLY AND HONESTLY. You will be glad you did.