5 Real Couples Share the Most Unexpected Thing They Learned During Their First Year of Marriage

Marriage adds a new dimension to your relationship.

By: Jen Glantz

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Lessons Learned from Newlyweds

Getting married is not only an extra special moment for a couple but it’s the official start to a new and exciting adventure together in life. Once the wedding and the honeymoon are over, couples find themselves navigating the changes and challenges that come with being newlyweds.

Whether it’s new lessons or habits, your relationship grows and expands when you get hitched. Let’s take a look at what these five couples say they learned during their first year of marriage.

You Learn Many New Things

Think you know your partner? Eva Keller says that in the first years of marriage, you learn a whole more.

"No matter how long you've known somebody, you will never know everything about them," says Keller. "No amount of communication or pre-marital counseling will give you a 100% full picture of who somebody is. You just have to trust what you already know and decide to work through anything that comes up in the future."

You Start to View Your Partner as a Teammate

Getting married might change your relationship and according to Allison Williams, it may make you closer than before.

"Being married has taught us the importance of viewing your partner not only as your husband or wife, but as your teammate, your love, and your number one support system," says Williams.
"Communication and compromise are key to it all."

Shared Fun and Foods

The lessons you learn during the first year of marriage can be silly too. Natalie Bickel learned that she and her partner learned to love the ice cream they made together.

"The most unexpected thing we learned during our first year of marriage was how much we loved banana ice cream. I don't mean banana-flavored ice cream, but rather ice cream made out of frozen bananas," says Bickel. "When we got married, we quickly realized that balancing time was a lot to handle, specifically when it came to keeping up our healthy habits. Banana ice cream not only sufficed our cravings, but became a weekend ritual. We'd make the ice cream and then sit down and watch our favorite shows together while enjoying our newfound healthy substitute."

How to Manage Finances Together

Not only does marriage blend two people’s lives, but it lets them combine the things they have, including their money. For Dolores Stokes, merging money with her partner was a challenge during the first year of marriage.

"One of the most unexpected things we learned was that having two incomes does not equate to having more money or being more financially stable," says Stokes. "It is crazy how fast money goes and how many expenses you don’t think of when you start combining your income and living together with another person."

How to Make Space for Changes

Marriage means that you and your partner are living life together and in life, many changes occur. Christina Garrett, says that during the first year of marriage, she and her partner unexpectedly learned how to make space for each other to respectfully change.

"We learned that when you get married, you combine two paths with histories, habits and responses," says Garrett. "What is deemed acceptable in your home may be the ultimate disrespect in someone else's home. Coming together to form a union that embraces healthy communication, boundaries and individuality is intentional and beautiful work."

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 10 Real Couples Who Got Married During the Pandemic Shared Their #1 Piece of Advice, Marriage Secrets from Couples Who Have Been Together for Over 25 Years, 10 Things to Do If You’re Ready for Marriage But Your Partner Isn’t

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