For couples who have been together in a loving relationship and have now begun to think of proposing and taking the relationship to the next level, there are important questions that need to be asked; some intimate issues that should be intentionally poked into; and honest answers that must be drawn, no matter how scandalous they turn out to be.

For the guy [or babe] who chooses to propose, you must first ask yourself questions to ascertain your own readiness and qualification for such huge step; and then there are questions you have to ask your partner, too.

Getting into a marriage, as romantic as it is, is pretty much like a entering into contractual agreement. Before agreeing to a contract, you are logically expected to ask relevant questions; questions which, to a reasonably large extent, clear any doubts you may have. It is called due diligence.

And the concept applies to marriage-intended relationships, too!

So, before proposing to your babe, the one with the gorgeous eyes and lips as satisfying as honey-suckle, make sure you ask as many questions as possible. And be intentional about each and every one of those questions.

There won’t be time to ask all the questions at once, or in a single sitting. It is even advised, as a matter of wisdom, to ask some of these serious questions spontaneously, when he/she is unsuspecting, unexpecting.

Note that the most important thing here is to first be sure of what you want; what matters most to you, the things you can never joke with; core values that you can never bend or break and then tailor those questions around these things.

Most times, this means that there will be customised questions that are peculiar and tailor-made for you and that relationship. However, there are still general questions that usually apply to majority, if not all relationships.

Here are 15 of those questions that should guide you to make wise pre-marriage inquiries

1. Do you still have feelings for an ex?

2. What’s your love language Do you even believe in love languages?

3. How do you handle stress, pressure?

4. What’s your take on feminism generally? What do you think of gender roles in marriages?

5. What do you think of money’s role in a marriage?

6. Is the idea of a joint account repulsive to you?

7. Do you think there’s a limit one should stop at when it comes to religious beliefs and followership, or do you just follow all the way?

8. How many kids do you want? Do you like big extended families or the small, intimate circle of most important family members.

9. When we fight, how do you think we should settle them? Are you confrontational? Do you scream and shout and/or have long periods of silence afterward?

10. How are you when you are angry?

11. Who do you listen to even at your angriest? Who and who do you consider as your personal support system?

12. Have you ever been in an abusive relationship – whether emotional or physical?

13. Who is your role model on marital things? Whose marriage do you hope to emulate? Or do you just believe in forging your own path in a marriage as you go?

14. If you’d rate your sex drive on a scale of 1-10, what would it be?

15. How was your parents’ marriage? Do you wish to have a marriage like theirs?