6 important lessons I learned from marrying young

Marrying young has been amazing for me. It made me realize that you don’t have to complete every aspect of your life before getting married.

Don’t allow others’ opinions to control your happiness. If you found the perfect match, why not begin building the life you’ve always wanted together?

While getting married may not be for everyone, there are reasons why I think it’s worth it.

1. You grow up together

You not only get to grow old together, but you get to grow up together. Together you can conquer all the young adult problems and then your mid-life crises with each other. While many of your peers might still be finding themselves, you’ve already figured out what you want, and you get to achieve it all with your partner by your side.

2. You take better care of yourself

Getting married at such a young age made me realize that I want to enjoy everything and take nothing for granted. I want to be present for every milestone. For instance, I tend to drive a little safer so I can see the look on my spouse’s face when I get back home. I also take better care of my health to enjoy a long healthy life with him.

3. It keeps you grounded and focused

Committing to spend the rest of your life with someone is an enormous venture. When you’ve watched each other grow through all your challenges and life changes, you can look back and never forget the times you struggled together. You’ll appreciate all you have so much more. Your relationship will make you more focused and willing to succeed to be the best version of yourself.

4. You can rejoice in both your successes

Getting married in your early 20s means achieving significant milestones together. You may be finishing school, beginning your dream career, or moving states away from all your family and friends (that’s what I did with my spouse). You’ll become your spouse’s number one fan and vice versa. In the end, you’ll realize you wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all you have without your partner’s love and support. Their successes are yours, and yours are theirs — and that is a significant point of marriage.

5. Other people don’t have the authority to invalidate your marriage

The opinions of others do not influence my marriage. My age doesn’t matter: I am not missing out on life, I am not too young to give consent, and I didn’t need to “grow” up like many people insisted on before marriage. Have the wedding and marriage you want, not what your family or friends want.

6. Getting married young isn’t for everyone

Leading up to our wedding, I received a lot of criticism for marrying at 22. We’ve been married for two years now. People always had to add their two cents and share how young marriages don’t work out. They would also ask me regularly if I was making the right decision.

Marriage is a serious matter, and it may not be for everyone. The same is true for the time when you decide to get married. But for my 22-year-old self, getting married young was the right and best decision I made.

Getting married young has taught me so much about myself, other people, and, most importantly, love. It doesn’t matter if you’ve known someone for 20 years or just one year. It also doesn’t matter if you’re young or old. Do what makes you happy and have the wedding and marriage you want.