3 Couples Share What They’ve Learned After 1 Year Of Marriage

1. What kind of work do you do, and what is your daily schedule like?

Patrick: I’m a consultant for IBM.

Amanda: I’m an editor at POPSUGAR who writes about fashion and beauty.

2. How has your relationship changed since you’ve been married?

Patrick: We've had to really embrace family. It's not just the two of us anymore; now we're a part of each other's extended families.

Amanda: I think we're much more responsible. Getting married makes you feel so adult! Suddenly we're making all these grown-up decisions.

3. What’s the one household chore you love the most and the one you hate the most?

Patrick: I hate all chores. I don't mind taking out the garbage, but I hate having to clean the cat litter.

Amanda: Psh. Ironically enough, I don't mind doing the laundry, but I hate folding and putting clean clothes away.

4. What’s the one thing that brings you together again after you’ve had a fight?

Patrick: Ice cream or any type of comfort food in front of the TV at night.

Amanda: If I went to sleep mad at Pat the night before (I know you're not supposed to do that, but it happens), I love when he makes me a cup of coffee in the morning and brings it to me in bed to say sorry.

5. What’s the one item from your registry that you use every day? How often do you use it, and how has it changed your life since you first received it?

Patrick: Our Keurig® K475 coffee maker. Amanda loves having a moment to herself with a delicious cup of coffee in the morning. Since I prefer bold and she likes flavored, we stock up on a variety of options so we can each have our perfect cup.

Amanda: Our bedding. It's amazing how a quality linen can make even sleeping feel luxurious.

6. What would your spouse say is their biggest pet peeve about you?

Patrick: Amanda probably hates when I don't listen. Although I say it's just selective hearing.

Amanda: When I don't eat the leftovers. He hates it when I let food go to waste.

7. When is the typical time you reserve to spend together or go on dates, and what activities do you enjoy together?

Amanda: I'm going to let Pat take this one.

Patrick: We love to go out to dinner on Friday in the city, but since we bought a house, a lot of our date nights consist of going to a home improvement store or doing yard work. It doesn't sound glamorous, but there is something to be said about working alongside someone you love toward a common goal.

1. What kind of work do you do, and what is your daily schedule like?

Dan: I work in the legal field. My hours are relatively normal . . . but, I'm always up by 5 a.m. and (sadly) in bed by 10 p.m.

Eric: I oversee concessions for a shoe label, so I travel a lot. My schedule is fairly consistent, but my day could occur in many different places.

2. What is the single piece of marriage advice you'd offer to newly engaged couples, or the best marriage advice you've ever received?

Dan: I'd tell newly married couples to always try to see the fun in every situation . . . which isn't alway easy, but if you can manage to do it even half of the time, you're in good shape! The best piece of marriage advice I've ever gotten was from my parents, who have been happily married for 47 years. They always say that no matter how different two people might seem, as long as their hearts are in the same place, nothing else really matters. I love that, and it's definitely true.

Eric: I'd tell newlyweds to contribute everything they can to their lives together. The day is long, and you can always give more. The best piece of marriage advice I've gotten was to always be kind . . . and if you can't always be kind, vacuum. Just kidding.

3. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about one another in your first year of marriage?

Dan: Over the course of our marriage, I've learned that there's almost nothing around the house that my husband can't do. I swear. He'll cook dinner, wallpaper a room, wire a chandelier, lay a floor. It's almost overwhelming how handy he is.

Eric: I was really surprised at what an early riser Danny is. He's always up early. He's taken the dog out, fed him, made himself a cup of coffee, and run errands all by 7 a.m. It's kind of amazing . . . and slightly unnerving.

4. When is the typical time you reserve to spend together or go on dates, and what activities do you enjoy together?

Dan: It might be cliché, but we try to spend Friday and Saturday nights together. Most of the time, we stay in and watch television and just enjoy each other. We work a lot, so it always feels like a treat to just relax together.

Eric: We try to spend our weekend nights at home together. Sometimes, we make plans to go out, but usually end up staying home with our little pug, making dinner, drinking coffee, then falling asleep in front of the television. We're homebodies . . . it's nice.

5. How has your relationship changed since you’ve been married?

Dan: We are exactly the same. But, being married feels empowering. I'm proud of our marriage. We fought for it, and so did countless others before us. We don't take it for granted.

Eric: I really don't think our dynamic changed at all. Truly. We've been an old married couple since we met.

1. What kind of work do you do, and what is your daily schedule like?

Shannon: I work in advertising, specifically social media. I work 9-5 and go to the gym three to four times a week. Sometimes Logan and I will get invited to special events in the city on weeknights, but we usually come home, make dinner, and watch A LOT of TV.

Logan: I work for a global bank, not a teller. I'm in HR, no I don't want your resume (not that kind of HR).

2. What is the single piece of marriage advice you'd offer to newly engaged couples?

Shannon: Don't be proud. Always admit when you're wrong. And remember that life is supposed to be a fun adventure above all else.

Logan: Remember to always consider the other person in the relationship and how your words and actions can impact their life.

3. How has your relationship changed since you’ve been married?

Shannon: We lived together beforehand so it hasn't been crazy different for us. I think it just feels more legitimate. It's exciting to know that we have a whole future ahead of us as our own little family.

Logan: It feels more legitimate and respected. It seems like society really wants you to get married, and when you do, people act like your relationship is a really big deal.

4. What’s the one item from your registry that you use every day? How often do you use it, and how has it changed your life since you first received it?

Shannon: I love the simple modern dishware we received. We'd been using mismatched plates and bowls from college up until our wedding shower, so now we finally feel like real “adults” with matching dishes and fancy mugs for our delicious coffee!

Logan: I cook almost every night for us, so I like the new cookware we got. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and it has been nice to have utensils for everything we want to make.

5. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about one another in your first year of marriage?

Shannon: Logan loves being with his family. We've been together for eight years, so I knew this, but I saw it in a new light this year. Now that we're legally a family, Logan will prioritize any of my family events before his own personal schedule. This dude is a family man through and through.

Logan: I'm not sure I learned this in our first year of marriage, but I've learned that Shannon is willing to sacrifice for me in our relationship. If I decided I really wanted to change careers or move to the other side of the country, I think she would be more than willing to do it for me, even if she doesn't really want to.