The present, exploratory, study analyses i) the meanings of marriage and love, ii) the expectations for marriage, for the partner and for oneself, and iii) the rising and resolution of conflict, in two stages: dating and marriage. Using a semi-structured interview, five heterosexual couples, married for at least two years, were interviewed (each member separately), and dating was explored in retrospective. Content analysis was used as the data analysis strategy. It was concluded that couples, while dating, do not explore the meanings and expectations for marriage intentionally; that marriage assumes different meanings; that expectations are matched or surpassed; and that there are new sources of conflict in marriage as well as small changes in coping strategies.
dating; marriage; marital meanings; expectations; conflict