Newlyweds are people who have recently entered into a

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

. The time frame during which a married couple is considered newlywed varies, but for social science research purposes it may be considered as up to six months into the marriage.Rebecca J. Cobb, "Newlyweds", in Harry T. Reis, Susan Sprecher, ''Encyclopedia of Human Relationships'' (2009), p. 1155-1158.

Happiness and honeymoon

Researchers generally contend that "early in marriage, newly married couples are affectionate, very much in love, and relatively free of excessive conflict, a state that might be called 'blissful harmony. The "high levels of love and commitment" experienced by newlyweds "are relatively stable during the first year of marriage". The marital relationship (as opposed to other familial relationships, friendships, or work relationships) is the most important relationship in causing happiness in newlyweds. Perhaps counter to expectations or stereotypes,

erotic love Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...

is not a major factor in the happiness of many newlyweds. Newlyweds experience a "happiness boost" that lasts for the first two years of marriage on average, with happiness levels then returning to pre-marriage levels. Many newlyweds experience feelings of elation, an increase in self-esteem, and a more secure attachment style after the start of their marriage. Many newlyweds, especially in Western cultures, take a vacation in the immediate wake of the wedding, known as a

honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds after their wedding to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase in a couple ...

. The honeymoon is part of the wedding ritual in Great Britain and the United States.

Stress and challenges

Newlyweds may face significant stress as they work to integrate their individual lives into a newly combined social, financial, and legal status. This stress can lead to biological alterations, with endocrine changes found in newlyweds who exhibit hostility in laboratory settings. In some cultures, " wlyweds are expected to earn a living independent of their parents' help", while in others, the new couple are expected to integrate into the household of one of their parents while working to gain the means to establish their own household. Newlyweds' perception of their integration into their new family can be affected by the amount and type of information conveyed to them by their

in-law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship each party in the marriage has to the family of the other party in th ...

s. Even when newlyweds in the United States report a positive relationship with their spouse's family, they prefer to look for emotional support from their own family, at least in the early years of marriage. Newlyweds may also discover previously unknown conflicts between their own beliefs. Research indicates that "interactions within households, as measured by years married, influence the rate of agreement between the partners", and therefore that "newlyweds are consistently less likely to agree on partisan choice than are older couples". Newlyweds often feel societal pressure to have children early in their marriage; this pressure extends to same-sex newlyweds.

Sexual performance

Newlyweds may also face sexual performance pressures, particularly in cultures where people are expected to refrain from sexual activity before marriage, and immediately after marriage to begin engaging in regular and mutually satisfying sex. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, the Church was concerned that newlyweds would become obsessed with their new-found right to engage in sexual activity, to the point that the Church "pronounced that any sexual activity between newlyweds for the first three days was sinful and required absolution and penance". It has been found, however, that "married couples make love quite often during the first year or two, but after that, sexual frequency declines, slowly and steadily, over the years".

Older newlyweds

Although most newlyweds are relatively young, the status also applies to older people entering into late marriages or second marriages, possibly following a

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

or a period of

widowhood A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjective for ...

. Older couples are sometimes more firmly established financially, but must address considerations such as

estate planning Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the management and disposal of a person's Estate (law), estate during the person's life in preparation for future incapacity or death. The planning includes the bequest of assets to ...

(particularly where the spouses have children from previous relationships) and entitlement to government benefits like

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

and

social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...

programs.Janet Kidd Stewart,
Stakes High for Older Newlyweds
''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' (June 17, 2007).

In popular culture

Some media have focused on newlyweds as characters. Examples include: * '' Newlyweds'', a 2011 film written and directed by Edward Burns. * '' Newlyweds'', an Australian sitcom that ran from 1993 to 1994. * '' Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'', an American reality television series about

Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, producer, TV personality and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees and later starred in the reality ser ...

and

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...

, following them in the first two years of their marriage. * '' Newlyweds: The First Year'', an American reality documentary television series that premiered on

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...

in 2013, tracking the married life of four recently wed couples. * ''

The Newlywed Game ''The Newlywed Game'' is an American television game show. Newly married couples compete against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know or do not know each other. The program, originally created ...

'', an American game show that tests the knowledge that spouses in recently married couples have of one another.

References