Proven:

You are happiest in the third year of your marriage

Now I not only look forward to my wedding, but especially to the time after that. Don't get me wrong, but such a wedding... It brings quite a few headaches.

In just a mere two weeks we're going for it and will be husband and wife. Who would have thought that, after all those years of fluttering and flirting in the Amsterdam pubs and all those failed dates with who knows who? Certainly not us. But we found each other (time and again) and it is now better than ever. Cheesy? Yes. Do we mind? No. We are happy. But apparently not very happy yet.

Because if we are to believe science, we would be at our happiest full of rainbows and happily ever after when we have been married for three years. Three years? So we have to wait three more years for all that happiness? According to researchers, it is precisely then that most couples are completely happy with their lives. Often, a first child has already been born who is no longer in diapers but is just sleeping a bit longer. That busy and nervous time of a first child is then over and that gives a bit more space for each other. But precisely because your first child is there, you experience real moments as a family, which does a lot for the feeling of happiness.

In addition, after three years of being married, things often go well with everyone's career. You know what you want and work hard for it. It is an age where there is certainty. Everything is stable: the circle of friends, family ties, your own family, your place of residence, and your working life. That does you good. There is a nice foundation, there is trust, there is peace, and above all, there is no stress.

Well, good. I'll talk to you again in 2021, darling. Can’t wait.

FACTS

• Most couples get married after being together for 4.9 years
• On average, Dutch people are married for 13.8 years before they divorce
• Men are on average 43 years old when they divorce, women on average 40 years old