Extending the Honeymoon Phase
After the vows are shared, and the rings are exchanged, you’ll want to keep the romance alive but may struggle to find ways to do so. When the honeymoon ends your marriage can indeed begin, but how can you keep that warm and fuzzy feeling last throughout the years? We’ve got a few ideas.
On your honeymoon, you’ll find yourself laying on a lounge chair staring at the sun rays streaking the ocean waves and wish you could live there forever. Let’s face it: we all want to extend our vacations, but the honeymoon doesn’t have to end when the plane lands! Enhance the romance every day of your marriage by trying one of these six ideas.
Discover Something New
This one is entirely up to your interpretation. You can discover your new favorite restaurant or try a new dish at your go-to cafe. Take a road trip and explore a town you’ve never visited before. Discover a hidden talent you never knew you had by trying new things – who knows. Maybe you’re a paintball prodigy! If you just moved to a new town or live in a big city, discover an attraction you never knew about, like a local drive-in movie theater! Or go shopping and find a hidden treasure that is just perfect for your new home – flea market flipping, anyone?
Diversify Your Routine
One thing that hurts marriage most is when it becomes work. When a husband and wife get too comfortable in their daily routines that they forget to enjoy each other’s company or learn something new about each other, things go south. Add some variety by doing something spontaneous every day – whether that’s having breakfast in bed, buying last-minute concert tickets, or making a spur-of-the-moment decision to go skydiving! Mix things up.
Nix the Bedroom TV
Remember sleepovers as a kid? You and your best friend would share the best heart to heart conversations right before you fell asleep. Now, you’re married to your best friend! But this ritual should continue if you want to deepen your connection and devotion to each other. It’s impossible to have a meaningful conversation with your partner if you’re both focused on who will get the final rose on The Bachelor or Sheldon’s latest shenanigans on The Big Bang Theory. We know this idea may be a bit scary – I’ll admit that I have a TV in my bedroom – but we promise the positive change in your relationship will make the sacrifice worth it.
Along with that sentiment is devoting time to “unplugging.” You should spend at least an hour a day with your love without any television, music, or smartphones to distract you. A good time to do this is during dinner, but you can do it whenever you have the time – first thing in the morning, right before bed, or as you’re preparing dinner. Communication is key in a healthy relationship, so be sure to make time to talk – and listen – to each other, so you don’t lose your connection.
Have a Date Night
This one is pretty self-explanatory but is a super important aspect of keeping the honeymoon phase alive. Like the unplugged tip, it’s about devoting time to each other. You should be priorities in each other’s lives, not accessories. Never let work, social lives, or even children interrupt your date night ritual. It’s a sacred thing that will keep your marriage healthy and strong.
Try New Things
Embrace change! Marriage is all about growing together and trying new things to see what works for you as a couple. Take some classes together: learn how to cook, dance, or speak another language. Challenge yourself to perform on stage, whether it’s karaoke or a poetry reading. Try ziplining at Hocking Hills or Jet Skiing on Lake Erie. Find fun new things that you can enjoy doing as a couple.
Set a Goal
Never forget that your marriage is an equal partnership. You two are a team for the rest of your life and should strive to have similar goals in what you want out of life. Do you want children someday? Do you want to live somewhere else eventually? Would you prefer to grow your career or prioritize taking adventures and enjoying life over your career? Not only should your goals line up, but you should set some that you’d like to achieve together, like buying a car or putting a down payment on a house.
If you treat your relationship the same way you did in the beginning, there will never be an end. Your “Honeymoon Phase” is guaranteed to last longer if you continue to put each other first, communicate, and explore this new life as partners, together.
