How to have a happy marriage

You need to have have fun and communicate openly with your spouse just like you would your best friend.

No matter what you need to stand together as a team... a united front against everything that will come your way during your marriage.

Never disrespect your partner; do not do this directly to your spouse or behind there back to other people.

* Love

Love, ok some may think this is a given in marriage... but it not. Often people fall out of love or were only in love with being in love and these sad facts may have been discovered after the wedding. Love is a feeling that while it may not have the violins and fluttering of the stomach that were oh so present at the onset (the infatuation love period) is a feeling that grows in silent; a feeling that you know is stronger each year than the previous. A mature love is one that does not idolize the other, but sees the flaws in our partner but understands these and despite of them still cares deeply (loves) the other. True and mature love deepens despite rocky roads and true personalities.

* Support

Support is a mutual tool in love, it is one that is easy at the beginning or in times of smooth sailing; but is much harder to maintain when the seas of life have thrown you into a storm. It is easy to support a spouse when you are both on the same side; but sometimes even through you may not be perfectly aligned on an item it is necessary to form a union and support the other. Okay so your not an all out supporter of your partners favorite band or charity or anything else, but when your partner is against a wall and needs one more friendly face on their side it should be you. Supporting your lover in a time when maybe others don't see things the same way is a way of bonding your relationship and of understanding the others nature.

* Tolerance

This really should be an easy one for most couples but instead seems to drive the biggest divide. Simply; people are different... no one is ever perfect and no one will every be the exact way you imagined or tried to mold them to be. Differences should be accepted or maybe even ignored, if you can't change it (which you can't) then don't try and don't bother your own mind with worrying about it; accept it and move on.

* Communication

Open and honest communication between partners is vital to the happiness of your marriage. You must be able to talk with your spouse about anything... there should be no topics that are "off-limits". Couples who talk freely with one another are happier and are more likely to remain married; than couples who have difficulty communicating with one another.

* Realistic expectations

It is easy to be idealistic and romanticize your relationship early in "honeymoon" stage of your marriage. Be aware that the happily-ever-after that you expect will only be possible if you are both willing to work toward that end. It is reasonable to have high expectations of the one you love; but you must balance that with what is real and possible.

Know how to handle conflict

Every marriage relationship will have marital conflict and hostility during difficult times. Learning how to handle these problems, knowing when to seek a therapist's help and being able to forgive are some of the keys to making matrimony successful.

* Caring

* Nurturing

* Sense of humor

* Commitment

* Respect

* Problem solve together

* Interdependence

* Enjoy one another

* Have fun together