Keep The Sparks Alive By Dating Your Spouse After You Say I Do
Are you questioning the importance of dating your spouse after you get married? We are here to show you why it’s so important to your marriage to continue dating your spouse after you say “I do”.
No matter how long you have been married, I’m sure you remember the excitement and passion that you felt when you first started dating your spouse.
As time goes on, it can be easy to fall into a routine and take your partner for granted. That’s why I believe that it’s so important to continue dating your spouse even after you’re married.
I’ll be sharing some of the top reasons why dating your spouse can benefit your relationship in countless ways. Whether you’ve been married for a few months or a few decades. and I’ll be sharing some ideas with you on how to make time for date nights and finally some tips and ideas for your date nights.
I hope that this post inspires you to prioritize your relationship and keep the spark alive. So, let’s dive in!
This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details
Why Dating Your Spouse is Important
Dating your spouse is important because it helps keep your relationship fresh, exciting, and fulfilling. When you first start dating someone, you make an effort to get to know them, plan fun activities together, and show them how much you care.
But as time goes on and you settle into married life, it’s easy to lose that spark and take each other for granted. By continuing to date your spouse, you’re showing them that they are still a priority and that you’re committed to keeping your relationship strong.
Dating your spouse allows you to have quality time together, reconnect emotionally and physically, and create new memories that will strengthen your bond. It’s a simple yet powerful way to invest in your relationship and ensure that it continues to thrive for years to come.
Dating your spouse creates intimacy and keeps the sparks alive
Dating your spouse can be an incredibly effective way to foster intimacy in your relationship. When you carve out dedicated time to spend with your partner, you’re demonstrating that they’re a priority in your life and that you value the relationship.
Engaging in activities together and sharing new experiences can help you connect in new ways and deepen your understanding of one another. Furthermore, dating can help break up the monotony of daily life and give you both something to look forward to.
Whether you’re trying out a new restaurant or taking a weekend trip, dating your spouse can reignite the spark that brought you together in the first place and help keep your relationship strong and vibrant.
Dating your spouse adds excitement to your routine
Dating your spouse can bring an element of excitement and anticipation to your marriage. When you prioritize spending quality time together, you’re creating opportunities for new and fun experiences that you may not have otherwise had.
Whether you’re trying a new activity or exploring a new place, the sense of adventure can be invigorating and add a spark to your relationship.
Additionally, when you’re dating your spouse, you’re likely putting in the effort to look your best and show your partner a good time. This can create a sense of excitement and anticipation that can translate into the rest of your relationship.
By consistently making time for one another and engaging in new experiences, you’re keeping the excitement and passion alive in your marriage.
Dating your spouse improves your communication
Lack of communication is one of the top reasons marriages fail. Creating opportunities for communication is important.
Dating your spouse can have a positive impact on communication in your marriage. When you’re on a date, you’re typically focused on each other and engaging in activities that facilitate conversation.
This can create an opportunity for you and your spouse to connect on a deeper level and communicate more effectively. In a date setting, you may find that you’re more likely to actively listen and respond to your partner, rather than simply waiting for your turn to speak.
Furthermore, when you’re engaging in new activities together, you may be more likely to share your thoughts and feelings about the experience, which can lead to a greater understanding of one another. Consistently dating your spouse can create a habit of effective communication that can carry over into the rest of your relationship and help you build a stronger connection.
Dating your spouse strengthens your bond
Dating your spouse can be a powerful way to strengthen the bond between the two of you. When you’re dating, you’re making a deliberate effort to prioritize your partner and your relationship, which can help build trust and intimacy.
By setting aside time to spend together, you’re creating opportunities to learn more about each other, explore new experiences, and create shared memories. These experiences can create a foundation of positivity and connection that can strengthen your bond and increase feelings of love and affection.
Additionally, dating your spouse can help you both to feel appreciated and valued, which can lead to a deeper sense of commitment to the relationship.
Ultimately, consistently dating your spouse can help you build a stronger, more fulfilling partnership that can withstand the ups and downs of life.
Dating your spouse can be fun
Dating your spouse can be an incredibly fun and enjoyable way to add excitement to your marriage. When you’re on a date, you’re typically doing activities that you both enjoy, or trying new things that you may not have done before. This sense of novelty and adventure can be invigorating and add a spark to your relationship.
Additionally, dating your spouse can give you both a break from the routine of daily life and help you reconnect in a playful and lighthearted way.
Whether you’re trying a new restaurant, going to a movie, or going on a weekend trip, dating your spouse can help you remember what it was like to have fun together and enjoy each other’s company.
By consistently making time for one another and engaging in enjoyable activities, you’re keeping the fun and excitement alive in your marriage.
Dating your spouse shows you care
Dating your spouse is a meaningful way to show that you care about your relationship. When you take the time to plan a date and spend quality time together, you demonstrate your commitment to your partner and your desire to keep your relationship strong.
Going on dates can reignite the spark in your relationship, deepen your emotional connection, and help you remember why you fell in love in the first place.
By prioritizing date nights, you are telling your spouse that they are important to you and that you value the time you spend together.
Overall, dating your spouse is a tangible way to show that you care and want to nurture your relationship for years to come.
This is called quality time together ~ One of the Five Love Languages.
Dating your spouse reinforces that you love each other
Dating your spouse is an excellent way to reinforce your love for each other. It shows that you are willing to invest time and effort in your relationship and prioritize your partner.
When you go out on dates, you create an opportunity to connect on a deeper level, engage in fun activities together, and strengthen your emotional bond.
It also helps you remember why you fell in love in the first place and can reignite the spark that may have dimmed over time.
By making a conscious effort to date your spouse, you demonstrate your commitment to your relationship and your desire to continue building a strong and loving partnership.
Dating your spouse allows you to continue to do all those things you did to fall in love
Dating your spouse is a great way to recreate the experiences and activities that initially brought you closer together.
When you go out on dates, you can engage in fun and exciting activities, try new things, and explore different places together. This allows you to continue doing all those things that made you fall in love in the first place, whether it’s going for a hike, trying a new restaurant, or enjoying a movie together.
It’s important to prioritize these activities and experiences in your relationship, as they provide a sense of novelty, excitement, and adventure that can reignite the passion and spark between you and your spouse.
By continuing to do the things that brought you together, you can build a deeper and more meaningful connection with your partner, and keep your love fresh and vibrant.
Dating your spouse deepens your friendship
Dating your spouse can deepen your friendship in many ways. When you intentionally set aside time to spend together, you have the opportunity to reconnect and strengthen your emotional bond.
By going on dates, you can try new activities or revisit old favorites, which can create shared experiences and memories. You can also use this time to have meaningful conversations and truly listen to each other. Over time, this can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other’s thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.
By making your spouse a priority and investing in your relationship through dating, you can build a stronger foundation for your friendship to continue to thrive.
How to Make Time For Dating Your Spouse
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy for couples to let their relationship take a backseat to other obligations. However, it’s important to prioritize quality time with your spouse to maintain a strong and healthy relationship. Here are seven ways to make time for dating your spouse.
Schedule regular date nights
Be prepared to commit to weekly date nights. Whether you decide to schedule a date for every Wednesday night or have a schedule where every week will be different, how you schedule your date night is not as important as making sure you are committed to always scheduling a date night.
So make it a priority to set aside one night per week or month that is dedicated to spending time together. Whether you go out to dinner, see a movie, head to the beach for a beach date, go out to eat for a Friday fish fry, a Brandy Old Fashioned, or simply take a walk together, make sure that this time is free from distractions and solely focused on enjoying each other’s company.
Find a good team of babysitters
If you have children, it can be difficult to find time to spend together. Compile a good list of babysitters and make sure you have more than one on the list. Canceling your date night is not an option.
Enlist the help of family members. Your date night can also be a grandma and grandpa night. The night that the kids get to spend time with their grandparents. Who doesn’t love grandma’s cooking and grandpa’s pillow fights? I’m sure you won’t get any arguments from the kids.
Your date night could also be auntie night. The night that your sisters get to come and hang out with the kids. You know the aunties that have all the fun, order pizza and dig out the finger paints. No hiding the finger paint, this is auntie time.
Take Advantage of technology
Life can sometimes be crazy and not ideal for scheduling date nights. One of you may be traveling for work or away from home for some other reason. Being apart from each other is no reason to skip date night.
If you’re unable to physically be together, use technology to stay connected. Schedule regular video chats or phone calls, send each other flirty texts throughout the day or even watch a movie together virtually.
If you are looking for more romantic ideas READ ~ Simple Ways to be More Romantic for some great ideas.
For more date ideas download our free date cards, cut them out, and then without looking randomly pick a card and whatever the card says, that’s your date for the evening or afternoon.
Get up early
Dates don’t always have to happen at night, morning dates at the coffee shop are a great way to start your day off on the right foot.
An alternative is to wake up just 30 minutes earlier. This extra time can provide enough time to enjoy a cup of coffee together, cuddle in bed and reconnect, or go for a morning walk together.
This small sacrifice can make a big difference in how connected you feel with your spouse. Don’t let this 30 minutes be your only date time, but from time to time if it’s all you can fit in, it will help.
Make use of your lunch breaks
If you and your spouse work near each other, try to meet up for lunch once a week. This is a wonderful way to change up your routine and have something to look forward to.
If you are not wanting to try to make it to the local cafe and back, pack a picnic lunch and meet in an out-of-the-way place for some quiet alone time while you have lunch. Use this time to catch up on each other’s lives and enjoy a break from work.
Trade babysitting with a friend
Trade date nights with your friends and help each other make each other’s marriage a priority. On your date night, supper for all the kids can be at your friend’s house with homework and movie time afterward, and on your friend’s date night, all the kids are at your house for supper, homework, and movie. It’s a win-win for you both and easy on the pocketbook.
Plan an at-home date night
There will be those times when no matter how much planning you do, things don’t work to get away from the house. Don’t let that be your excuse to skip your date.
Not all dates have to take place someplace else. If you are able to turn off all of the activities and things that need to be done at home, by all means have an at-home date night after the kids go to bed. Use our post about At Home Date Nights That Are Fun And Romantic for ideas.
Make good use of your backyard for your at-home date nights. A Romantic Backyard Date can be magical, and the ideal way to spend romantic time together without breaking the bank.
Tips for dating your spouse
Maintaining a healthy and happy relationship requires continuous effort and attention. While the initial spark and excitement of a new relationship can fade over time, it doesn’t mean that the love between partners have to fade as well. Use these tips for dating your spouse, they will help you keep the romance alive in your relationship.
Prioritize self-care
Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your relationship. Make sure to schedule time for activities that you enjoy and that help you recharge. When you feel fulfilled and happy, you’ll be better equipped to connect with your spouse.
Get Creative
We love dining out as much as everyone else does and dinner dates are our go-to. Yet, if your date nights are always going out to eat, that gets old and even boring after a while. Not only that but it can also add up financially and cause a strain on the pocketbook.
Unless you are doing something very creative like a roving dinner with a different course at different restaurants. You need to be able to think outside the box and get creative. We have packed blankets and had a picnic in the back of Gary’s truck in a field, and we’ve had dates that involved driving to the airport and watching the planes take off. Your options are endless.
We’ve put together some fun date cards that you can download and use for spontaneous date ideas.
It’s okay to not spend a lot of money on a date
Dates don’t have to be expensive. Your date nights are not about the money they are about connecting with each other and spending time together without the distractions of your everyday, day-to-day stuff.
This may come as a surprise but most married couples don’t have a lot to budget for dates. Life is expensive. The quality of romance is not measured by how much it costs. Some of our favorite dates did not cost much at all.
Gary and I have jumped on the back of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and rode out to the lake, fed the ducks, and then sat and talked for hours. I remember how I treasured the daisies he picked for me on our walk. That date was one of the most magical times we have spent together and it didn’t cost much at all.
Be flirtatious
There seems to be this misconception that once you are married, things get boring. Sure they can if you let them. But why would you?
It’s those flirty times, the teasing and playfulness that contributed to you both taking the trip to the alter. If you want to keep the home fires burning you both need to continue with the flirting and teasing.
Remember those texts that use to fly between you while dating? You need to still be doing some of that. And the little gifts and special touches that took place between you both need to still be there.
When you are heading out on a date, don’t just grab your keys and go, get dressed and make it a real date. I don’t mean put on a dress and suit, unless where you are going calls for that. No, I mean put some effort in to present yourself at your best.
Plan an overnight date
You are all grown up, it’s ok to have an overnight date. You don’t need to limit your dates to just an evening.
Why not take a whole weekend for one of your next dates? Book a place on VRBO or at one of your local hotels and use this as an escape from the everyday things that pull you away from each other.
There are so many ways to create a romantic overnight date. After taking many romantic hotel dates ourselves we wrote a post giving you ideas to take your Romantic Hotel Date Night to the next level.
If you want to rekindle the romance of your early married days, why not go on a second honeymoon?
Conclusion ~ Why you should be dating your spouse
In conclusion, the media makes us think that life after the wedding is boring and dull, but we can tell you they are wrong! That spark does not have to go away once you say those two little words.
Dating keeps the romance alive and makes your relationship fresh and exciting. It’s the best way to keep your marriage strong.
When you make an effort to consistently date your spouse, you are investing in the long-term success of your relationship. There are very few things in life that will ever be more important than your relationship with your spouse. So, whether you’ve been married for years or are just starting out, never underestimate the importance of dating your spouse.
PIN ME FOR LATER
