Wedding preparation is considered an important thing by couples because it involves a number of aspects that can affect the sustainability and happiness of their marriage.

What should be prepared for a smooth and happy marriage?

Here are some things that must be prepared before entering the ark of marriage.

1. Communication and Certainty

Before making the decision to get married, it is important to discuss the future with your future spouse. Good communication will help you understand each other's expectations, values, and life goals. Make sure that both of them have the same vision to create a harmonious life.

Don't let each partner be surprised after marriage, because they realize and know that they and their partner do not have an aligned vision to support each other. Because marriage is a process that is lived together to achieve goals, not just you or me, but us.

Thus, communication and reassurance is important in marriage preparation, as it allows couples to understand and align their life goals. By communicating openly, couples can ensure that they have a similar vision of the future, career, family, and important values in life.

2. Understanding the Obligations of Marriage

Marriage is not just about romance and love, but also about responsibilities and obligations. Every couple should have a clear understanding of what is expected from the marriage, including their respective roles in the household, finances, and future planning.

Obligations in marriage refer to a set of responsibilities and duties that each partner assumes as part of the process of strengthening their marital bond. These obligations involve various aspects of life, ranging from emotional, financial, to daily roles and responsibilities.

This simple matter, if not handled from the start, will result in a variety of disappointments between couples. Wives feel that their husbands do not play a role in childcare, or husbands are disappointed that their wives are unable to be ideal housewives. Of course, such things are not expected by all couples.

3. Financial Readiness

Marriage often requires a clear and substantial financial investment. Therefore, it is important to be financially prepared before marriage. Plan a wedding budget, consider the cost of living after marriage, and discuss openly about finances with your partner in preparation for your wedding.

Because marriage is not just about love, entering married life, every couple is expected to be financially independent, no longer supported by their parents, or burdening their new family life on others. So, if you are still dependent on others, reconsider your readiness to get married.

4. Understanding of Religion and Culture

If a couple has religious or cultural differences, it is important to discuss and understand how these differences will affect the marriage. Discuss values, traditions and commitment to shared beliefs.

Cultural and religious understanding in marriage is a key element that can affect the dynamics of the marriage relationship. Couples who come from different cultural and religious backgrounds need to understand these differences in order to build a harmonious marriage.

Couples therefore need to understand each other's cultural values and traditions. This includes social norms, manners and expectations that may differ between their cultures. As well as a good understanding of each partner's religious teachings, rituals and values. This is very important to prevent conflicts of values and beliefs.

Make sure that before marriage, couples have open communication, willingness to learn, and ability to compromise. This way, couples can build a marriage that blends the richness of each other's cultural and religious backgrounds, creating harmony and mutual understanding.

5. Choosing a Place to Live

A place to live or a house is one of the basic needs in household life. Therefore, deciding where to live after marriage is an important step in preparing for marriage. Discuss whether to live with family or independently. Prepare yourself to create a comfortable environment that suits the needs of both parties.

Discuss each other's expectations and preferences regarding the place to live. From the location to the type of home you want, open communication helps create a mutual understanding.

Plan a budget for the residence, including the cost of renting or buying a house, and purchasing furnitures. Knowing your budget limits helps you make wise decisions.

If you don't already have a place to live together, look for a location that suits your needs and preferences. Consider factors such as access, neighbourhood safety, and nearby public facilities.

Preparing a place to live before marriage requires cooperation and compromise between the couple. With careful planning and mutual understanding, couples can create a home that will be a place of memories and happiness on their marriage journey.

6. Health Check

It is important to take care of your health before marriage. A pre-marital health check-up has great benefits in ensuring the well-being and physical readiness of the couple to start a life together.

Have a thorough medical check-up to ensure that both are in good physical and mental condition. It can also help in preparation for planning to build a healthy family.

For example, a pre-marital health check can help detect and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This is important to protect the sexual health of both partners and minimize the risk of transmission.

Especially for couples planning to have children, they can check their reproductive health before marriage. This involves checking fertility, examining female reproductive health, and identifying factors that may affect the ability to have offspring.

Health screening also provides an opportunity to identify potential health issues that a couple may have. By knowing the initial health conditions, couples can take steps to prevent or manage certain health conditions.

7. Wedding Planning

Start planning the wedding with enough time. Marriage is not a simple thing from the start. There are various things to prepare, from formal documents so that the marriage can be recorded in accordance with government regulations, to additional preparations around receptions or traditional ceremonies.

Decide on a wedding date, choose a venue, and organize all the preparations such as invitations, decorations, and catering. It is also not trivial to choose wedding vendors, because everything must be taken into account, and adjusted to the needs and abilities. The earlier the wedding preparations begin, the more it will help the wedding process run smoothly.

8. Take Pre-Wedding Classes

Taking pre-marriage classes can provide a better understanding of marriage, address important topics, and provide skills to manage conflict. These classes can help build a strong foundation for a lasting marriage.

In addition, pre-marriage classes can also provide an opportunity for couples to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning and commitment of marriage. This involves discussions about each other's roles, responsibilities and expectations.

In the face of wedding preparations, having emotional support from family, friends, or even counsellors can provide confidence and help cope with any stress that may arise.

Marriage is a beautiful journey of life, but careful preparation is essential to ensure sustainability and happiness. With good communication, financial readiness, and a deep understanding between the couple, marriage can be a strong foundation to build a meaningful life together.