The Marriage Files | Part 2

If you saw our post about The Why Behind our Business, you know that we strive for our business to be about much more than pretty pictures. We want to impact marriages and make a difference in our couples’ lives. We want to be more than just wedding photographers, but an example of a successful marriage. We are nowhere near the “perfect marriage” (which by the way, there is no such thing) but we do know what has worked for us and may work for others! So this friends is where this series comes in: The Marriage Files. In this series, we will be sharing advice and tips that have helped us throughout our marriage and strengthened the bond that we have. Whether it be advice that’s been given to us, or things that we found worked due to trial and error, we’re sharing all the things that edified our lives together and will hopefully help other couples strengthen their marriages as well! If you’re new to The Marriage Files, catch up with the first one here before you get started. If not, welcome back and here’s Part 2 in our series for couples and marriages! :)

The Marriage Files: Part 2

Our second tip, or piece of advice, for couples that are married, or are about to get married may not be a popular one! But here it goes friends… PUT THE PHONE DOWN when you’re with your spouse! There, I said it! And I’m preaching a little to myself here because I can, at times, get consumed with my phone while spending time with Vic. (I know, I’m ashamed!) I get lost in the vortex of Facebook and Instagram instead of paying attention to the person right next to me! So here are some things you should think about next time you are together…

1. Keep your phone put away when going out to dinner

We live in an age that everywhere you go people have phones permanently attached to their hands. Unfortunately it’s become part of the norm to see people at a table in a restaurant on their phones instead of having conversations with each other. Vic and I went to dinner the other night and saw a couple sitting at a table not too far from us. Both of them were on their phones, and the girl was taking selfies on Snapchat while having her boyfriend or husband right in front of her! I was floored and realized that I never wanted that for us. Sure it’s fine to take out your phone if it’s an important message or to take a picture of your food (because let’s face it we all do that) but don’t let your phone become more important than the person sitting across the table from you! Put the phone away in your pocket or purse and try not to look at for the duration of your meal.

2. Leave your phone in another room while at home

I’m going to come right out and say it… this one is the hardest for me! It’s easy to get carried away looking at social media or texting someone when you’re at home just relaxing. And let’s not even begin to talk about the times when your spouse is watching something on TV that you don’t want to watch! It happens friends, but we want to tell you that it shouldn’t become a habit. Vic and I try our very best to either leave our phones in another room in the house, or put them on top of each other in a corner of the couch far away from our reach. Because you don’t want that quiet time you have at home to just relax with your spouse to turn into the quiet time you have with your phone on the couch next to your spouse. Does that make sense?

3. Set aside a specific time to check your phone

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking about your spouse and how much time they spend on the phone, don’t go and do the same thing. Be the example and leave  your phone put away when you’re out and in another room when you’re together. Vic and I had a very serious conversation about this same topic a few days ago. We spoke about how we do not want to be permanently attached to our phones when we are together and how we should be setting a schedule in which we take time to look at our phone, answer messages, and check in with the rest of the world on social media. Because it is SO easy to have your phone be a constant part of your life and become an interference in your relationship, and that friends is not ok!

We are hoping that this will help others just like us, strengthen their relationships. Whether you’re about to get married, a newlywed, or married for 10 years, our wish is that this series will edify and help strengthen your marriage! :)