20 Things All Women Should Do Before Getting Married

01 Oct 20 Things All Women Should Do Before Getting Married

This article featured today on Huffington Post titled 20 Things All Women Should Do Before Getting Married, really got me thinking – so I thought I should share with all the soon-to-be brides out there.  This pre-marital bucket list, written by Maressa Brown on CafeMom’s blog, The Stir, has got some definite points – maybe a few misses – and will certainly not apply to every woman out there.  However, I’d like to know what all of our many engaged and married readers think!  I’d say I probably checked off the majority of these except #10 (I’m going on year seven and still learning how to confidently navigate myself around a kitchen); and #14 (I can’t say that I had many fears to speak of in my early twenties).  For me personally, the only thing I wish I had done before I got married is teach abroad.  I traveled abroad, studied abroad (thanks mom and dad!), and even worked a little abroad when I ran out of funds, but I never did the teaching abroad thing and it’s something I really did want to experience.  If you’re already married – what’s the one thing you wish you had done before saying I do?  If you’re not yet married – is there anything you’d add or subtract from this list?

Here, 20 things every woman should try to do before tying the knot.

1. Travel with your sister(s) and/or closest female friends. Not saying you can’t do this after you get married, but lots of ladies agree there’s something especially liberating, eye-opening, and bond-bolstering about doing it beforehand.
2. Travel with your future spouse. “Everyone can get along for a weekend, but see if you can stand each other for a whole week, dealing with travel dilemmas, etc.!” my wise fellow newlywed friend noted, and I couldn’t agree more.
3. Suffer major heartbreak. As one woman put it, “It not only made me a stronger individual coming out of it, but it also showed me never to take love for granted.”
4. Dump someone. Pleasant experience or not, it’s empowering to be the one who called the final shot in a relationship at one time or another.
5. Get your finances in order. One of my close friends made it a point to clean up her credit and make some serious sacrifices so that her future husband wouldn’t have to carry around the burden of budgeting mistakes she had made while single. It’s also not a shabby idea to do it for your own peace of mind.
6. Talk about your finances with your future spouse. Make sure you know where you stand on long and short-term goals and spending vs. saving. Depending on how much either one of you is willing to bend on certain things, money matters can be serious buzzkills for marital bliss — or, at their worst, dealbreakers.
7. Live alone. Autonomy is awesome! Plus, as one recent bride put it, having lived alone “makes you grateful for the things your spouse contributes” once they’re in the picture.
8. Live with your partner. Sure, if you’re old-school, you may not be a fan of this one, but it can definitely serve as a “test drive” before buying the car.
9. Have a summer fling. Even if it doesn’t last past Labor Day, it’s a fun memory to look back on — and makes for a fun story to reminisce about.
10. Learn how to cook. Not because you’re getting ready to be someone’s June Cleaver, but because it’s reassuring to know that you can fend for yourself in the kitchen.
11. Splurge on yourself. Because you can — and you should!
12. Have at least one big blowout fight with your future spouse. Then make up. It’s good to know you can get through it.
13. Date around. Serial monogamists often feel like they missed out on the experiences of going on both good and really bad/hilarious/cringe-worthy dates.
14. Face one of your biggest fears. Be it skydiving, public speaking, or dining in public alone.
15. Try having a friend with benefits. If only to make sure that friend you always had a crush on doesn’t somehow become “the one who got away.”
16. Focus on your education. Not that you can’t do this once you’re married, but you may want to spend pre-marital time on getting one — or several! — degrees.
17. Get started on making your career dreams come true. Same as #16.
18. Decide how you feel about kids. Kind of like money, a majorly important thing to reflect on/discuss before getting hitched.
19. Clean up your act. AKA drinking less, eating healthier, working out more.
20. Get to know yourself. Should go without saying!

What else do you think should be on a pre-marital bucket list?

Written by Maressa Brown on CafeMom’s blog, The Stir.

Resources: Huffington Post

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