Awesome Tips On How To Make Your Marriage Last Forever

What makes a marriage last – and be satisfying, passion-filled and joyful too? We asked couples to recount their love stories, celebrity couples to express their love in letters to one another, and marriage experts to share their tips on how to make your union last.

- Davelle Lee

1 Set a shared vision and mission statement

What are you striving towards in your marriage and what is your purpose for being married? “Get together with your spouse to come up with a shared vision and mission statement or even a statement of core values for your marriage,” says Claire Nazar, marital communication skills trainer and council member at Families for Life. “This helps you to build a sense of ‘us’ and the future you’ll have together.”

Both of you should come away from the discussion with the same idea of what you want and need from your marriage. Working towards a common purpose and goal strengthens your marriage and makes it more resilient.

2 Understand your spouse’s needs

“You and your husband have different personalities and you will love and feel loved in different ways too,” says Claire. “Learn how to love him in the way that he prefers.”

Let your spouse know what your love language is. There are five: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. Now, strive to apply this knowledge in daily life.

Let’s say Hubby needs affirmation through words. Elvira Tan, marriage specialist at Focus on the Family, suggests taking a minute or two off your busy day to drop him a text that reads “I love you” or “Can’t wait to see you tonight”. “This tells him that you are thinking about him,” she says.

Claire adds: “It will make him feel appreciated and help you to see the relationship from his perspective.”

3 Set the ground rules

You both need to be specific about your expectations for your relationship, and set realistic boundaries. “The set of rules helps to minimise conflict in the household,” says Claire.