Marina Margulis is a dating coach based in New York City. She has been featured in Good Men Project, DatingAdvice, Scribd, and more. Follow her on Twitter.
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How do you know if you're ready for the next step?
By Marina Margulis — Written on Sep 21, 2021
No matter how much you love each other, marriage is still a huge emotional and financial step to take as a couple.
There are so many pros and cons to weigh before you get married. So, if I were you, I'd take the Miranda Hobbes method from Sex and the City and make a list.
Can you ever know for sure when it's the right time to get married?
How does anybody know when they are ready to make that leap?
Every couple is different, that's for sure.
Here are some telltale signs that you're ready to take the plunge — consider them as their own individual pieces of marriage advice as you take this next step.
1. When you imagine your life years from now, you continuously visualize it with your partner.
You can't even imagine anything different.
2. The thought of children — once so foreign and repulsive — becomes more and more amusing.
You begin to envision routine parenting as something beautiful and endearing. But this is something to discuss with your partner first to make sure you are both on the same page.
3. The thought of making love to someone other than your partner disgusts you to the core.
You cannot even fathom the possibility of another hand touching your body.
4. You enjoy waking up next to your partner.
On the off nights you don't spend together, you miss his or her body next to you when you open your eyes in the morning.
5. You find his or her dysfunctional family charming and eclectic.
While you may not be totally enamored with your partner's extended relatives, you love your partner so much you're willing to look past them.
6. You inadvertently admire other people's wedding bands.
And you start contemplating what you'd like yours to look like. That doesn't mean go searching online for wedding bands and making a vision board out of them — yikes!
7. You start thinking about joint finances.
You calculate the costs of selling your bachelor or bachelorette pad to afford a down payment on a real house.
8. You enjoy the simple moments together.
You don't necessarily have to do something to enjoy your time together; whether it's grocery shopping or watching television, you just appreciate being near him or her.
9. You and your partner become each other's cheerleaders.
You bring out the best in each other and have each other's backs. This means being with your partner through thick and thin and not chicken out when things get even remotely rocky.
10. You trust your partner explicitly.
There's no other person in the world in whom you would rather confide.
No matter what, it's important that you and your partner are on the same page about marriage. There's nothing worse than being in two different places in your love story.