What You Need To Know Before Getting Hitched

You know it’s only a matter of time before he puts a ring on it—but just how ready are you to get married?

- Marla Miniano

At my wedding ceremony last March, I kept sneaking glances at my nine-year-old nephew, who was seated in the front row in his bible bearer outfit, self consciously swiping at the tears that wouldn’t stop streaming down his face. Afterwards, as he gave me an awkward, sniffly hug, I asked him why he was crying. He answered matter of-factly, “I’m just so happy. I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life.”

“That’s much longer than I’ve been waiting,” I said jokingly. But deep down, it was true: up until a few months before the wedding, I wasn’t 100% certain my fiancé and I were equipped for marriage. Sure, we got along pretty well. We had fun together. And of course we loved each other. But was that enough?

I am not of the hopelessly romantic school of thought that there is only one person in the entire universe meant for us. So the choice to commit to someone for the rest of my life felt more like a decision than destiny. If it was fate that led us to each other, it wasn’t fate that would keep us together. It was a relationship cocktail of patience, selflessness, communication, compromise, forgiveness, humor, acceptance, and growth that would do the trick—and it was exactly these ingredients that convinced me we were on the right path after all.

In the end, as I walked down the aisle, there were no doubts flitting around in my head. No anxious thoughts or nagging trepidation. Instead, as the church doors swung open like a page, I was flooded with a strange sense of calm and a happiness that was pure and clear. I knew we were prepared, and I knew we were going to make it through no matter what.