5 Ways We Keep Our Relationship Strong
And just like that we are officially 100 DAYS away from the wedding.
No matter how many times I say it, it always amazes me how fast time flies by. Before we know it, our wedding day is going to be here! Throughout this process, I’ve been trying to be mindful about focusing on what’s important. Preparing for an amazing wedding is fun, but preparing for an amazing marriage is even better. So as the big day approaches, I’ve been taking the time to reflect on our relationship. I picked out a few of the things we try to do everyday to show respect and strength in our relationship. I also thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share some photos from our engagement session with the amazing Hannah of Sparrow and Lace Photography. Seriously, she and her second shooter Brianne did such an awesome job. And well, the photos speak for themselves <3
5 ways we keep our relationship strong
Open communication
As cliche as it sounds, it truly makes all the difference in a relationship, especially when it comes to emotions. Don’t try to hide them or push them away to “forget” them. I promise they will come out again, and probably at the completely wrong time. To be honest, even with lots of practice this is something we have to actively work towards daily.
Schedule time together
Make time do you the things you love. And I mean literally schedule it. I get it. Life is soo busy. I already feel that way and we don’t even have animals or kids yet. But it’s so important to make time to do things that you love together. Go for a walk, go to your favorite restaurant, or go try a new activity. Add it to your calendar to help you both stay accountable.
Stop mind reading (or trying to at least)
It’s so easy to assume you know what another person is thinking/feeling or assuming that they know the same about you. But the truth is… None of us our mind readers. No matter how well you know someone, you just can’t make assumptions about what’s going on in their head. I can’t tell you how many times I was mad assuming he was mad, etc. — when in realty neither of us were mad and the whole issue could have been avoided. Ask don’t assume!
4. Take some space (& be independent!)
As much as we love each other, we would probably go crazy if we were together constantly. Obviously we are away during the work day, but it’s also nice to have our own friends, hobbies, and projects. We make sure to have plenty of quality time together, but we also both have our own independence. Similar to this, when we get into a fight we always try to take five minute break. I know it’s tempting to want the last word, but just give it a break. Even if it’s just a few minutes of not talking or going into another room. It always give us a second to clear our heads, calm down, and truly think about what it is we want to communicate. That way when we go back to discuss the problem, we can actually listen to each other and not just repeat the same points over and over.
5. Notice the little things
I feel like no matter what I’m talking about… this always ends up on the list haha. But it is SO important! Sometimes it can be so easy to focus on the major things (good or bad) that we end up looking over the ordinary things that our partner does every day. Or we don’t stop to think about the small things we could do for THEM to make their day just a little bit better. Whether it’s cleaning the house, grabbing their favorite snack at the store, or leaving a love note…. there’s so many easy ways to let someone know you are thinking about them and that you care. I also recommend the 5 love languages quiz to learn more about how your loved ones show and accept appreciation from others. It was pretty insightful for us!
So there you have it! I’m sure many of these are things that you have heard before, but it never hurts to have a reminder! Once you have been with someone for a long period of time it’s easy to forget these simple ways to show appreciation. Even though they may seem like obvious ideas, it takes hard work and self awareness to actually implement them daily. Thanks for reading! You can see a few more of our engagement photos below. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! <3
All photos taken by Sparrow and Lace Photography <3