Thanks be to God that you are already in a committed relationship. So, the question still remains: how does one prepare for marriage when they know that they are ready to get married? There are many ways to prepare for marriage, and in this article, we will look at the many different ways you can prepare for marriage.
- Pray to God: This is the obvious thing to do, but it might surprise you that many people forget this important step. There is a difference between asking God to prepare you for dating and asking him to prepare you for marriage. It might go hand in hand, but I promise you that marriage is completely different from a committed relationship. You become one flesh when you get married, so the best thing you can do is to pray for wisdom and ask God what he can do to prepare you even more for marriage. Pray and ask God to prepare you in other ways, be it with patience, compassion, finances, and understanding toward one another. Pray and seek wisdom because God is more than willing to pour wisdom into you. Maybe you are a man reading this, so this might be your sign to buy an engagement ring. Get it stepping! In all seriousness, before you do all of that, pray and ask God to lead you. It’s always wise to pray and not lean on your understanding, but the Lord’s. There is going to be much stress leading up to the wedding or stress leading up to the proposal. So, ask the Lord and pray for guidance because your timing might be too fast or too slow. Remember that the Lord knows what’s best, so trust him. James:1:5
- Seek Council: This can mean talking to mentors, family, and friends. This goes for both women and men because it is wise to seek the counsel of others. If you are a man, you may want to ask other men how they proposed or how they asked their wife’s father for their blessing. If you are feeling anxious, hearing about what they experienced is wise. Another thing to ask as a man is when to propose. The last thing you want is to propose to your beloved when her nails are not done. An older man would let you know because of experience. Let your future spouse know that you are going to propose soon; this will give her enough time to manicure her nails so she can take pictures of the engagement ring. Another thing to consider is the timing of the wedding.Â
You will want to ask your family who you might want to invite. This can be especially wise because you might have relatives living outside of the state, meaning they need to schedule time for your wedding. Rushing things just because you already want to get married is never a good idea. Another great thing about asking for help is ideas! When is the best time to get married? What season is the best season to marry? What’s the best venue, and how much will it cost? How many months in advance will you have to schedule that venue for the wedding day? All these questions can be answered by family, friends, and mentors who are married. This can ensure that you will have less stress, which can help you focus on other tasks that will prepare you for marriage. Proverbs 1:5.
- Go to classes that prepare you for marriage: I know that some churches offer these types of classes because marriage isn’t as easy as it seems. At first, it’s an amazing and indescribable feeling, but you soon realize you are no longer single. Everything you do can have an effect on your spouse. Even the smallest things, such as menu items, bedtimes, interests, etc. You will realize that you’re not alone anymore and that you and your spouse will have to make decisions regarding holidays, family time, and even food. Life is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows, and I guarantee that you two will be tested. Every Christian will be tested at any stage of their life, so just because you are married does not mean that temptation will go away. You two will have to rely on each other and have faith in God. These classes pave the way and show you a sneak peek of life when you are married. Do you think your career won’t affect your marriage? Your lifestyle? Your hobbies? Think again and pray for discernment. These classes can offer some advice if the two of you have odd shift schedules, lifestyles, and hobbies. These classes offer ways to seek the Lord when you are married and offer advice on how to balance a work-life schedule. This is my opinion, but if one of you works at night while the other during the day, pray. Go to these classes, where they can show you how to live a balanced life when you marry. These classes can also help you learn about finances and budgeting. So what are you waiting for? 2 Corinthians 6:14.
- Review finances: This should come as no surprise because this is going to play an important role in your marriage. Like it or not, money is a tool and a way to survive in this world. So make sure that you and your spouse are financially ready, but this doesn’t always mean having a certain number in your bank account. This means being financially wise and not getting into too much debt. This can also mean staying humble by not comparing ourselves to others because comparing will steal your joy. You will have to save money for an engagement ring, venue, plane ticket, and honeymoon.
- On top of that, you will need to have at least ten thousand dollars to five thousand dollars saved up to move out together. This is for an apartment only; the cost of saving up for a house will be higher depending on your state and your finances. Take account of each of your debts, such as credit cards, loans, school, and business. All of this should be done months before the proposal to ensure a smooth transition and preparation for marriage. If you are a man reading this, I advise you to save up for an engagement ring before you even plan to propose. Be prudent, be wise, and be diligent.
- Remember that if you are single and ready to date, you intend to get married. You date to love, not to have fun. I advise all the men to save at least twelve thousand dollars for the wedding. I don’t know how much you make, but the average engagement ring is around six thousand dollars. This leaves another two thousand for the wedding band, and what’s left of the six thousand dollars would be for the honeymoon and airplane tickets. Go in style, do first-class, and sit together. If you are the woman reading this, pray. Ask yourself if you are emotionally, physically, and financially ready to be a mom. Even if you decide that God has called you to be a stay-at-home wife and mom, learn how to budget and save. Let’s be honest: we all know someone who got married, and within a month to a couple of years, a family of two becomes a family of three or even four.
- So check your debt and how much you are willing to spend on a wedding. An average wedding is around thirty thousand dollars. So get ready and ask both families how much they are willing to help if they are so kind. Pray and ask God to lead you so you will be financially ready. Deuteronomy 8:18.
- Talk to one another and ask each other questions: It’s not just the woman’s wedding day, but the man’s as well. Ask what you two would like, such as the food, venue, location, people who are invited, and the honeymoon. The men will probably not care about the venue as much and might even say that they don’t care about the location of the honeymoon. Yet I’m here to inform you that they especially care where the honeymoon is going to be. Trust me, ladies. So talk to one another and write about the many countries or states you two would like to visit on your honeymoon. Also, make a list of the people you both want and don’t want at the wedding. Let’s be honest: we all love God, but there are some family members who are just not invited. Be open and honest with each other, but most of all, pray. James 1:19.
With all of this in mind, I want you to have hope. I want you to be prepared so that when the time comes, everything is stress-free. The both of you prayed, made a list, talked to each other, and reviewed finances to make a good decision. All the man has to do now is to propose and remember to always put God first. Genesis 2:18.
