Contemplating whether or not to pop the question? These factors will help you make up your mind.
By Kel Tan
If you and your other half have been dating for a long while now, it’s probably time to consider entering the next stage of your relationship.
However, marriage is an enormous lifelong commitment – so it’s perfectly understandable if can’t decide whether or not to take the plunge.
Check out these eight tell-tale signs to see if you and your partner are really ready to walk down the aisle.
Forget about waxing your hair or caking your face with makeup. You’re perfectly content to let loose around your partner –everything from bare faces to burps and farts has become the norm.
“My wife and I got hitched partly because we enjoyed the fact that we could be ourselves in each other’s presence,” shares Alain M. “Three years on and we still hardly get sick of each other!”
For instance, while #adulting is hard, you know that you can trust your partner to contribute to the household – whether it’s cooking a halfway decent meal or washing the toilets.
After all, each party has to pull his or her weight when it comes to building a home together.
Well, at least most of the time!
Money is one of the things that couples fight most about, so if you’re both on the same page financially, it makes it easier to commit to each other.
“Prior to our engagement, my fiancée and I had different spending habits and individual ideas on how to handle money,” shares Theo F. "But eventually, we came to understand that both our financial goals were ultimately the same.”
As such, if you’re not running away and screaming in terror at the thought of sharing a bank account with your partner, you’re pretty much set for life.
You know it’s a positive sign when your partner’s parents treat you like their favourite child, plying you with snacks and drinks every time you pop by for a visit.
You’re also on good terms with his or her siblings; in fact, you’ve even hung out with them – voluntarily – on a personal basis.
If your partner’s family already welcomes you with open arms, they’re more likely to be open to the idea of marriage.
You and your partner can talk about everything under the sun, whether it’s an interrogation about your ex(es) or a rumination about your childhood fears.
There are no more skeletons in the closet; they’ve all been dusted, reassembled and laid out for each other to see.
“For my fiancée and I, it is the trust that we’ve built in our relationship that allows us to let our defences down and share raw emotions with each other,” muses Theo.
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It could be that his encouragement gives you the confidence to handle big presentations at work, or that her compassionate nature calms you down whenever you’re about to blow up at someone.
Or really, it could even be as simple as the fact that you’re both willing to compromise when it comes to choosing what programme to watch on TV!
It’s early days yet, but it never hurts to plan ahead, right?
You think that your kind, loving, nurturing partner would make a fantastic parent – and nothing warms your heart more than the thought of starting a family with him or her.
When you picture your future, your other half is always in the frame.
Also, the thought of dating someone else – let alone marrying someone else – has zero appeal.
Simply put, if the thought of losing your partner cripples you with fear, that’s a sure sign that you’re ready to commit to him or her.
True love is difficult to quantify, so sometimes, you just have to go with your heart’s desire.
Potential proposal spots
Are you now all ready to get down on bended knee? If so, it’s time to start planning for the next step – the proposal.
Proposals shouldn’t be wildly extravagant; instead, they should be imbued with personal meaning.
As such, consider selecting a venue that is significant to your relationship, such as the place where you first laid eyes on each other, or the restaurant where you had your first date.
You may also want to choose somewhere that symbolises a shared passion; for instance, a beach if you’re both into water sports.
If you’re looking for somewhere potentially more scenic, proposing overseas is also a popular option. Planning for your next couple getaway just got even more exciting!
