Happy ever after...

Newlyweds will return fresh from wonderful weddings and romantic honeymoons ready to face their future together.

With 300,000 UK marriages every year, most in June, July and August, there are many couples who are now wondering how they can maintain that honeymoon feeling for the next 50 years, or will the romance quickly turn into apprehension as they ponder how they can succeed at life together?

Dr Gian Gonzaga, world-renowned expert in the field of compatibility and relationships for eHarmony.co.uk has more than 15 years experience in studying relationships and what makes a marriage work.

He said: “Newlyweds need to work together to make sure the honeymoon period doesn’t fade, and instead evolves into a happy and successful married life with one another.”

Dr Gonzaga has ten top tips:

Communicate:

Share your hopes, worries and frustrations with your spouse without fear of being judged, and don’t judge your partner when they do the same.

In marriage, there's no way you can keep your guard up all the time. If you can begin married life with a "you can tell me anything" relationship, then that is a great start.

Making time

In our busy lives it’s easy to get caught up in general everyday routines, so it is important for every married couple to make time just for each other.

Make a point of arranging a night every week to do something different together: cook, go out for drinks, take a long walk — it is just the two of you spending quality time together.

Intimacy and romance:

Carry on holding hands in public, making eyes at each other and playing footsie under the table.

Intimacy and even a bit of flirting (with each other) are important in keeping the romance alive.

Saying ‘I do’ shouldn’t kill the romance in your relationship.

Individuality:

While you and your spouse probably share many common interests, there will be interests that you don’t share.

It is important to keep your individuality and not to forget the things that you really enjoy doing.

Address small issues before they get big:

Little irritations today can turn into big conflicts tomorrow.

You probably already know what irritates your partner.

If you know that leaving your dirty coffee cup on the side annoys them, take two minutes to wash-up the cup and don’t provoke an argument.

Talk about little problems before they turn into big ones. If lots of minor issues go unaddressed, resentment will build and little problems will turn into larger ones.

Celebrate the good times:

The way you respond to your partner’s good news is as an important predictor of the health and strength of your marriage as the way you respond to bad news.

Feeling that your partner is there for you when things go right in your life creates emotional safety and is vital to strong, healthy relationships.

Laugh together:

One of the most important qualities in a successful marriage is humour.

When you laugh with your partner you feel many positive emotions which grow into greater intimacy and closeness.

Spontaneity:

It is so easy to fall into boring routines, and this kills romance. Go ahead, do the unexpected!

Embrace the art of spontaneity, and you certainly won’t feel life is stale.

Achieving goals together:

Plan an adventurous trip away, learn a new skill or take up a new hobby together.

Sharing a common goal and working together to achieve it, keeps you close and can make your relationship more exciting and passionate.

Complimenting:

A compliment goes a long way. A compliment is a great booster to your other half.

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