6 Things That Will Change After You Say "I Do"

Photo: Elisa Bricker
 

Anybody who tells you that life won't change after you get married is lying... or they've never been married. Even if you've been living together for a couple of years, things change after the honeymoon. The first year of marriage can be hard, but if you know what to expect and you're prepared for it, it's a lot easier to tackle and enjoy. Here are a few changes you can definitely expect:

1. Your friendships
You relationships with your girlfriends will change — especially if you're first in your crew to get married.

2. Your privacy expectations
You may have to ask some friends to give you back their copies of your keys and tell your besties not to flop on your bed or dig through your drawers, even if they've been doing it for 15 years.

3. Holiday season
Holiday plans are no longer assumed and may become more of a negotiation. You'll probably find yourself hosting more of them at your house in order to include everyone and keep the peace. For many couples, the first Thanksgiving and Christmas are political quagmires.


4. Your spending habits
No more shopping on a whim for expensive items, you'll have to coordinate all of your financial matters as a couple. There will have to be a budget (hopefully a somewhat flexible one) and you have to be completely honest about your spending with each other.

5. Your bank accounts
You're not financially "independent" anymore — you're half of a couple. You need to create a joint checking account and put each other on all of each other's accounts, not forgetting to change beneficiaries on existing paperwork at your office and financial institutions. You have to establish a savings plan and financial goals.

6. Your schedule
Hopefully, the two of you are sharing household chores and responsibilities, but whether it's work or play, you'll be spending more time together. And you have two families you're obligated to spend time with and professional obligations you must attend as a couple. Even if you've been together awhile, how much time these things consume will double.