Celebrating 5 Years of Marriage: Lessons Learned

Today, David and I celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. I cannot get over how fast these years have gone by.  But more importantly the lessons we’ve learned. This year, I thought I would share some of those lessons we learned through 5 years of marriage and how we continue to support each other.

Celebrating 5 Years of Marriage: Lessons Learned

1. Be honest. I was guilty of expecting David to read my mind for when I wanted him to do something or expected him to remember an appointment/event. When he wouldn’t, my disappointment and frustration would consume our conversations and I was left feeling hurt. One day, during a particularly hard year of our marriage, I sent him an email stating what I needed from him and how we could achieve that together. Being honest with him and stating my needs was the best thing for our relationship.
2. Be present. During our 5 years of marriage, we’ve gone through periods where we are both really busy. But, we make a point to spend uninterrupted time together without phones, social media, work, and the TV. This gives us an opportunity to connect, hear about each other’s day, celebrations and frustrations, and to decompress together. Our favorite place to do that is on our front porch with our boys.
3. Get some sleep. While we appreciate the “don’t go to bed angry” theory in arguments, we’ve found that us getting rest gives more clarity in the morning. It makes it less likely someone will say something they will regret later.
4. Apologize. Neither of us are good at apologizing, but it makes it so much easier to acknowledge that we’re human and sometimes still hurt each other’s feelings. What’s interesting is that the more we work on our communication, including saying we’re sorry, the better we get at it.
5. Express gratitude. David does the grocery shopping and the cooking, which are two major tasks that I despise. And he is very good at them. I help by cleaning, washing dishes, and doing laundry. We try really hard to remember that this isn’t a 50/50 give and take relationship. Sometimes, he has to do more, and sometimes I do. We work on expressing our gratitude, alleviating some of the burden on each other, and not expecting anything in return. It’s been a helpful transition for us and one that has brought us closer together.

David and I are constantly working on being better for each other. We accept each other’s quirks, tease each other, and we still have bad days. However, given some of our experiences throughout our 5 years of marriage, our communication has become stronger.  Helping us grow closer together. It’s not sunshine and roses over here always, but we are grateful for each other.

Gal Meets Glam Jumpsuit | Heels (similar here) | Ray-Ban Aviators |
Hunter Blake Earrings (currently sold out, but love these and these)

We’ve made a point to celebrate our anniversary by experiencing something new each year. Tonight, we’ll go to dinner at our favorite restaurant in Raleigh before visiting a new city in a new country.  See our previous anniversary travels here:

One: Charleston | Two: Staycation | Three: Nashville | Four: Lakeview at Fontana

You can also see my previous anniversary tributes here:

First Anniversary | Second Anniversary | Third Anniversary | Fourth Anniversary

See more of our wedding posts here. You can also see some of our favorite summer date nights here.

Photos by Glory Roze Photography

Shop the Post

Do you have any marriage advice that’s worked for you?  If so, share in a comment below!