What To Do When Your Partner Doesn’t Want To Get Married Yet

what to do when your partner isn’t quite ready for marriage yetMost people agree on many things when they’re in a relationship together. But marriage isn’t always something that every couple is on the same page about. If you feel like you’re ready to take the next step and get married, but your partner doesn’t feel the same, this can start to impact your relationship as well as your mental health.

Knowing what to do when you’re in this situation isn’t always easy. There are many different steps you may be considering, but it’s important to reflect on the situation and consider your options carefully. There are some key things you should think about doing if you’re struggling to understand why your partner isn’t quite ready for marriage.

1. Talk to Your Partner
In any healthy relationship, it’s important that you are able to communicate freely with your partner about things that are affecting you. If you are not in agreement about getting married, it’s important to have a conversation to find out why you aren’t on the same page yet. Talking to your partner can help you to unload some of your feelings about the situation, and it can help you to understand things from your partner’s point of view too. It might take several conversations over a longer period of time to fully understand your partner’s perspective on marriage.

2. Try Counseling
Couples counseling can be helpful for people who don’t feel like they are ready for marriage yet. The success of counseling will often depend on a variety of factors, including the professionalism of the counselor, the couples’ willingness to go to the sessions, and the underlying reasons why a person may be apprehensive about getting married. Some people may have a history of trauma and abuse or have parents who have been divorced. These are valid reasons why somebody might not feel ready to get married yet, and counseling can help to support both you and your partner on this journey.

3. Reflect On Your Reasons for Marriage
There are many reasons why someone might want to get married, aside from wanting to spend the rest of their life with their partner. They might feel like they’re ready to settle down and start a family, or perhaps they are ready for something different. Some people feel pressured into marriage or feel like everybody around them is getting married. There are no right and wrong reasons for wanting to get married, but determining exactly why you feel ready for marriage can help you to communicate this better to your partner and understand their reasons too.

4. Think About a Timeframe
If your partner isn’t ready to commit to marriage yet, speak to them about the timeframe and whether they know when they might be ready to reconsider their decision. They may need some time and space to consider whether they are ready for marriage and to understand more about why they are feeling apprehensive about it. Understanding more about what your partner is thinking and feeling can help you to determine when you next bring the subject up and when you might reasonably expect your partner to be ready for marriage.

Taking the Right Steps
When it comes to marriage, there is nobody who knows your relationship and your partner better than you do. By communicating frequently and effectively and paying attention to your partner’s needs as well as your own, you will find it easier to figure out which steps to take next and what to do when your partner isn’t quite ready for marriage yet.

Picture Credit: Freepik