Planning

In the past post, we wrote a bit about the pros and cons of being married young, but really the question should not be “how many birthdays have you celebrated?”  Rather, the question should be, “are we prepared for this?” The truth of the matter is that people reach maturity at different times.  Everyone is different.  Everyone has to contend with different obstacles.  Some people are truly ready for the commitment of marriage at 21 years old, while others may never be truly ready to make the necessary sacrifices. So, how do you know if you and your special someone are ready to take the leap?

Planning for a wedding can be a wonderful time.  The ceremony and reception provide the beautiful celebration that your love deserves.  And, the honeymoon is a wonderful time to just be together.  But, when all of that is over, it is time to take care of the details that come with marrying.  You’ll have to take care of the legal name change, for instance, but this is also a time to start considering a joining of finances. There are several ways that you can manage your money as a married couple, and much of this will likely depend on what stage of life you were in when you decided to marry.  The longer a person has been independent, the less likely the couple is to full merge all assets.

Planning for the wedding is so much fun, but don’t forget that there will be other, smaller celebrations before you walk the aisle.  The bachelorette party will bring its own version of entertainment, undoubtedly, but there is also the bridal shower to look forward to.  Before you cringe, consider the fact that there are ways to host bridal showers that won’t lead to awkward hours for the guests. Bridal showers have gotten a bad name over the years because most associate them with an hour or two of watching a bride-to-be opening casserole dishes and gravy boats.  However, just as this generation is boycotting some of the long lived wedding traditions, so too are they changing the look and feel of the bridal shower.  You can do the very same.