3 difficulties couples face during the first year of marriage

Once the wedding reception ends and the giddy feeling of the ceremony wears off, that’s when the marriage truly begins.

The vows taken during the wedding ceremony are indications that both the groom and bride are ready and willing to spend the rest of their lives together.

No matter how ready and mentally prepared they are though, couples often realise in the first year that marriage can be a bit overwhelming in reality. These three issues often require attention in the first year of marriage.

1. Living together

In most instances, Nigerian couples do not actually get to live together until they are married.

The first year of marriage often opens up your eyes to more about your partner that you never knew. Bad sleeping habits, bad bathroom habits, appetite, mood swings, etc, are stuff you actually get to fully know about in the first year of marriage – and in the instance that certain aspects are not good enough, you both can find a common ground.

2. Finances

If it happens that they did not discuss this during dating, the first year [first few months] is when partners often finalised how their finances will be run. What types of account they’ll open, what shared finances will be like, etc.

Modern couples also get to decide who gets to settle which bill, etc.

3. Pressure for kids

After Nigerian weddings, families on both sides expect kids as soon as possible, [9 months].

Couples need to understand that despite pressure from these close relatives, the choice to have kids is theirs, and they can choose when and how they want to go about it.

This decision gets made in the first year. And couples have to make it together.