One of the most exciting parts of the months leading up to our wedding was being able to go to different stores and websites and “shop” like a rockstar, putting all kinds of fantasy items on our gift registry. If I knew then what I know now, I may have skipped the silverware, and added a few different types of items to our wedding wish list.
Marriage Counseling Sessions Some couples get some form of pre-marital counseling prior to walking down the aisle. In my opinion, that counseling shouldn’t end once the couple exchanges vows and rings. Studies have shown that the first two years of marriage are the most critical when it comes to determining how well the couple will fare down the line, yet after pre-marital counseling, if they got it, the next time most couples seek marriage help is when their marriage is teetering on the brink of failure. It might not be the most exciting of gifts, but a gift card for a few counseling sessions, or a workshop or a retreat within that first year of marriage would be well worth the investment.
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A Financial Advisor One of the biggest conflicts in marriage is over finances, yet most of us still go into it with our eyes wide shut, and in many ways I understand why. Many of us haven’t even navigated making major purchases and financial decisions–like home buying and planning for retirement—by ourselves by the time we get married, so making them with someone else can be exponentially more difficult. Working out a budget, putting things like retirement accounts and insurance in place can be daunting enough that a lot of couples never quite get it done right. I know from experience that getting your money right early on can spare you a lot of the headache and heartache of trying to do it a few years in.
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An Organizer/Decorator Some of you may be fortunate enough to move into a space large enough to accommodate all of your stuff, and various design styles, from day one. For the rest of us mortals, knowing how to combine your things into one space in a way that is aesthetically pleasing is not for the faint of heart. I get chills today thinking about the many arguments had over my husband’s insistence on hanging a Raven’s towel on the living room wall. I’ve learned to turn a blind eye to a few things I’d rather not have in my home, but I would love to have a couple hours of a decorator’s time to guide us on which things are “keeps” and what needs to be retired to the land of the ugly.
BMWK – Do you agree with this “gift” list? What do you wish someone had given you when you got married?
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