Are you ready to take the vows? marriage is life long commitment and before you decide to get married here are some questions you must ask yourself and some things you shouls be clear about. Marriage is a big turning point in life and the decision to take the big step should come after giving a lot of thought.

Deciding to spend the rest of your life with a person may often lead to many questions that one should ask self. 

• Trust. Do you trust the guy you are thinking of marrying? Do you constantly feel fishy about his whereabouts or about his social networking accounts? Before moving on t marriage you must have a clear picture in your mind as to whether you completely trust your man or not.
• Have you talked enough with him? Mostly Indian marriages do not allow the boy and girl to meet too much before their wedding, the respite is the mobile phone nowadays. Though the trends are rapidly changing and youngsters often are trying out living in options before marriage. It is important that you have talked about everything with the person you are getting married. It is important that you both know each other’s views beforehand. Make your needs and expectations clear before marriage.
• Is it the right time for you to get hitched? You have to ask this question because you might be in the middle of preparing for an important exam of yours or may be at the struggling phase of your career. Do you actually think you can right now deviate from your life goals and take the big step and walk down the aisle?
• Just getting married because your family wants you to? This happens with many. You often take the big decision under pressure from your family and relatives. You must be sure whether you are ready to start a new life.
• Does he like you the way you are? Does he like you for being the way you are or constantly keeps telling you to change your hairstyle or may be the way you talk? He has to love you for the way you with the whole baggage of yours. You must feel comfortable in your own skin and same applies to your partner too.
• Are you ready for the big day in the shape you are currently in? Everyone wants to look best on their wedding day. So if you think you should lose those extra kilos to look the best on the gorgeous wedding outfit you have already bought then postpone the idea so that you look and feel the best on your big day.

Every relationship has its ups and downs. No matter how hard you try there are times when you face hardships due to disagreements, misunderstandings or fights. While love is important in any relation so are other factors like trust and faith.

• Talk to your spouse. Talk to you partner and try to overcome the shortcomings. This is the first step that needs to be taken to save your relation from further damage.
• Listen more. Listen to your partner and not merely hear him/her. You will only know where you are going wrong if you listen to what your partner has to say and not interrupt him/her while speaking. You can only come to know of the likes and dislikes of your beloved when you listen. Healthy communication is very important for a healthy relationship.
• Be expressive. Can’t remember the last time you whispered the three magical words in your beloved’s ears and made her smile? Be more expressive in love. Tell your spouse how you admire and love her. Make soft gestures that make her realize that she holds an important place in your life.
• Talk about the good things more. You admire your spouse for many things but have you ever told her that? Try to look for the positive side every time your partner does something. Make it a point to appreciate your spouse for the good things, even if it’s the dinner or the new project at office.
• Try to spend more time together. Time becomes a hindrance when most of the couples are working. You can join a gym together or go on shopping during the weekend or may be a morning walk together is a good idea. Indulge in activities that make both of you happy besides giving you the much needed time to spice up your relationship.
• Give your partner some space too. As spending time with your beloved is important so is giving him/her the space. Your partner too has friends and it’s not a bad idea to let him/her go and have fun with them sometimes. Giving space is equally important.
• Be clear. For a relationship to work it is very important to maintain transparency. Be it big or small you must not hide anything. Misunderstandings often arise from hidden things or talks that might make your partner unnecessarily suspect you.

Most important to maintain a healthy married life. The followiung ingredients make up a marriage a helahty expoerience for a couple.

• Respect – to maintain a good marriage it is important for the couple to respect each other. One has to listen attentively when the other speaks and vice versa.
• Admiration – admiration is as important. If you do not have admiration for your spouse you will fall short of love and respect for her. Nobody is perfect but everyone has some qualities. There might be some in your partner you only need to acknowledge those.
• Responsibility – as a couple you have responsibilities to take care of together. Be responsible towards each other too. Your marriage is not only an association of you two but of your families also. You have some responsibilities towards them and towards each other.
• Love – no doubt love is one of the most important ingredients of a happy married life. Where there is love there is happiness and so all other things come eventually. Relationship has its own phases. You might not feel the same way as you felt for your partner in the starting years of marriage. But love remains and only the way of expression changes. (--image source --Wikepedia)