The beginning of most new relationships feels like a phase of love, joy, and just blossoming energy that makes each partner feel more alive. You feel like you’re a part of something new and beautiful, and you surely don’t want it to end.
This part of the relationship is often called the honeymoon period, where you and your partner feel like nothing could ever stop or challenge your love. Regardless of the butterflies or feelings of complete adoration, you felt at some point, there are stages to everything and relationships are not an exception.
That phase of excitement and adrenaline rush is what we call the honeymoon phase.
At this phase, you and your partner are over-the-moon happy about every experience shared and your thoughts are filled with things to do to ensure these feelings never go away. The honeymoon period will feel like something out of a fairytale. That’s why it’s important to have an idea of when those curtains are closing and the experience phases into something more basic.
There doesn’t have to be a problem in your love life, you’re probably evolving from the honeymoon period to a phase that’s beyond the feelings of butterflies in your stomach, and sometimes, that’s okay. Below are some of the signs that indicate you’re no longer in the honeymoon phase and will help you decide the next course of action in the relationship.
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Romance isn’t completely ruled out in relationships rooted in solid love. However, romance can take the backseat when the couples don’t take deliberate steps to keep your love-life aflame.
When the romance between you and your man is reserved for only holidays and anniversaries, what happens in between the year?
The fact that the honeymoon phase has ended doesn’t mean you can’t keep the romance alive, you just need to decide to make a conscious effort to keep loving and cherishing this person even though it feels more like work than a voluntary action.
It’s normal to get mad at each other and exchange some angry words, but when the bickering ends in both of you staying mad throughout the night, your bond will weaken in the long-term.
Instead of allowing your love to wither because of your differences, treat your partner like you used to when you first started dating. Even though it feels like things are different now, the only way to strengthen your relationship and ensure your love never phases out is to keep putting in the effort.
His family and friends mean so much to him and when you first started dating him, you did all you could to stay on their good side so that they could support your relationship.
You don’t visit or keep in touch with them as much as you used to and your man doesn’t bug you about it either. It’s normal to do this when the honeymoon phase is over. However, you should make a deliberate effort to be that person that is kind and loving to his family, regardless of the different stages both of you will go through in the relationship.
If couples are to keep their relationships healthy, they need to treat it as a new relationship regardless of how long they have been together. Date nights or special outings shouldn’t feel like work, they should be treasured. Even if you can’t go out on romantic dates like you used to because of one reason or the other, you should still try to squeeze in date nights.
Completely leaving the honeymoon stage is not the best thing for any relationship because you’ll get jaded by reality and other things will take precedence in your lives.
If you are married to the love of your life, you would remember that when you first became a ‘Mrs’, it felt like you had been given the highest honor ever. However, as time went by, you started losing the joy that the name used to hold for you because life happened and you are dealing with so much.
The honeymoon stage may be rocky if you feel less jaded about being the queen of your partner’s life.
When most couples get saddled with responsibilities, they start longing for the freedom that comes with being single. But, because there’s no other choice, you carry out your responsibilities.
However, a lack of this freedom causes resentment. Instead of trying to continue with the tradition of roses and chocolates to ensure the honeymoon period doesn’t end, you only do your best to do what needs to be done.
To make up for not having the lovey-dovey moments anymore because you’re both tired after a long day, your husband offers to take care of the kids at night while you go to bed earlier.
You see, when you love someone, it’s easy to relax into roles and just keep mechanically living after a while. Once you notice this, it means the honeymoon period is starting to end.
Sex could become a treat you allow each other a few times in a month because you’re both exhausted at the end of the day but as long as you continue to try doing these things that strengthen your connection, your relationship will be fine.
Before the honeymoon stage ended he used to hold your hands, kiss, and hug you shamelessly in public but now some unpleasant changes such as him rolling his eyes at other couples expressing PDA is the norm.
If you observe that you are also complaining about people smooching in public, it’s possible that the oil in your honeymoon-love engine has gotten old and needs replacing.
Like every other couple, you probably played some romantic and sexy scenes at the beginning of your relationship—by leaving trails of notes from the front door to the bathroom to the bedroom. On the refrigerator, you would leave a love note telling your man to have a beautiful day because you had to leave home early.
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However, when the honeymoon ends, the only kind of notes you leave behind are reminders of who gets to wash the dishes that day. It means that the infatuation you used to feel for him has faded and that’s bad for your relationship.
Netflix and chill are wonderful if you’re doing so with the man you love but, eating out and visiting the cinema with him is even more fun and romantic.
The moment you discover that you haven’t hung out in ages, you should start planning on activities that will give you the feeling of being madly in love again. If it means treating each other like you’re in a new relationship, do that to ensure the lovey-dovey stage doesn’t end.
While it is not compulsory to attend weddings, it is good to attend once in a while to celebrate love in other people’s relationships and to remind each other why you’re still together. Even if you’re not married, other people’s marriage ceremonies are a reminder of the strong connection two people share.
If you notice that you have lost interest in attending weddings or smirk at the idea, it means the honeymoon phase has ended.
Giving each other pet names or attaching an endearment to names is one of the things that makes the emotions a couple share stronger. However, when you call your partner by a sweet name and he doesn’t respond, there is a problem.
You picked the endearments for a reason and that’s to express how much you love each other. When these names or tags no longer hold any significant meaning, it may be a signal of the end of the honeymoon stage.
When you cuddle someone, it shows how close you are to one another and how comfortable/safe you feel in each other’s arms. However, it’s easy for cuddles to fade out when both parties don’t feel the need to crave that ‘comforting’ contact.
When your man stops cuddling with you and vice-versa, know that there is a need to bring back romance and intimacy into the relationship.
No one in a relationship wants to be accused of show-blocking their partner. So, your guy would pretend to like watching Telemundo or The Bachelors with you even—though he’d rather be watching sports.
On the flip hand, you used to watch sports shows with him and his guys too but now, neither of you cares about bonding with each other while watching your favorite programs. This lost energy could signify the end of the lovey-dovey phase you both reveled in.
One of the things that drew you to your man was probably his body and, as you got to know him better, there were some parts of his body that you liked above others.
The moment you observe that his physical appearance or attractiveness doesn’t cause the same excitement it used to, it’s time to revisit your relationship’s background. This is especially important for couples with marriage ties.
You are more committed than single people in a relationship and so, you have a lot more to lose if intimacy and sexual attractions wane dangerously.
As a couple, one of the things you are supposed to do for each other is helping to take away the stress that comes with each day. At the beginning of the relationship, your man used to give you massages and you did the same thing for him but, when things progressed, both of you stopped making the effort to ease the other’s pains.
It’s one sign that the honeymoon phase is bowing out. It takes conscious efforts to keep a relationship going beyond okay after the initial stages of intense love diminish. You need to bring back deliberate emotions of care and love for your relationship to stand the test of time.
Before now, early morning kisses used to be something that came naturally to you and your partner. However, because you are out of the honeymoon euphoria, you skip the morning and even goodbye kisses because both of you are in a hurry to start the day.
You only kiss as foreplay when you want to have sex or as a welcome home greeting after being away from each other for a long while. Once you notice that this is happening a lot, try to discuss it with your man. This is because those little kisses and physical touch gestures keep the bond in your relationship even when you’re not having sex.
The honeymoon phase in a relationship is that point when two people in love can’t seem to be separated from each other. They are so in love that they find a way out of any situation no matter how challenging it is.
The honeymoon phase cannot last forever if the couple doesn’t intentionally try to make it last. The problem-free stage is at the beginning of a relationship but, when the stars clear from the eyes of the couple, they start seeing each other’s flaws.
When you can no longer tolerate the things he used to do that were never really an issue, or when you are not driven to satisfy him in every way, that’s a sign. He will also stop trying to do everything you want.
The hardest year of any relationship is the second year when the partners are not sure if they’re still in love with each other. At this stage, you know you want to be with him but both of you seem to have changed. However, the reality is that your characters have only just surfaced and both parties need to adjust.
Deciding when it is too soon to move in with someone you love is not really about the time frame. If you’re not certain you will be spending the rest of your life with him, it may be too soon. Also, if you aren’t sure that you love him, don’t move in with him.
Sometimes, progressing from the honeymoon phase is not a bad thing as long as you both accept to make the relationship work out no matter what comes your way. Honeymoon stage or not, it takes intentionality to keep a relationship going.
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