What’s an Important Question to Discuss Before Getting Married?

What Do You Anticipate as the Strengths and the Challenges of your Marriage?

This is a wonderful two-tiered conversation topic that can help couples prepare for the future. It is meaningful to enter marriage by first putting words to your relationship’s strengths. If you share values, trust one another implicitly, have great sex, work well as a team and/or thoroughly respect your partner, identify these strengths and put words to them.

Even more important, though, is taking the time to discuss what you anticipate will mark the greatest ongoing challenge of your marriage. Is one of you more independent while the other is more inter-dependent? Does one of you relish travel while the other prefers staying put? Is one of you more religious than the other? Is one of you a saver and the other more of a spender? These are among the many common challenges that are certainly manageable among happily married couples, but it helps to articulate and honestly face what your challenges will be and carve out strategies that respect each partner’s preferences and perspective.