The wealth conversations worth having before saying "I do"
What you need to know
- Marriage can be a natural opportunity to review your wealth plan, from existing arrangements to your longer-term family objectives.
- Start by understanding what you're each bringing into the marriage, including any existing financial arrangements or wider family wealth.
- Agree what you want your wealth to achieve, both in the years ahead and for generations to come.
- Review your existing plans together, as marriage may also create new planning opportunities depending on your individual circumstances.
It reportedly cost $30 million, 1,000 people attended and Paul McCartney performed1. No, it wasn't a music festival or concert, it was Taylor Swift's wedding to American football star Travis Kelce this summer.
As one of the world's most high-profile couples, their star-studded nuptials, officiated by actor Adam Sandler (of course), dominated headlines for weeks. Fans wanted every detail: her dress, his suit, the guest list, the menu.
It's fair to say it wasn't your average wedding. But whether you're a global superstar or not, one thing holds true: weddings last just one day, marriage is everything that comes after.
We'll never know what Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce talked about before saying "I do". But for many couples, getting married prompts conversations that go far beyond the wedding itself. That often includes thinking about how their wealth fits into the life they want to build together.
These conversations don’t always involve just the couple. While the bride and groom may quite rightly be focused on starting married life, parents are often thinking about the bigger picture: inherited wealth, family businesses and what happens to any family assets.
In short, getting married is an opportunity to step back and ask whether your existing plans still reflect your family's circumstances, priorities and long-term ambitions. The wedding may only last a day, but the conversations it starts can shape the years ahead.
Many couples find it helpful to consider the following questions.
Conversation #1: What are we bringing into the marriage?
Before making any big decisions together, it's worth taking stock of what each person is bringing into the marriage.
Even couples who've been together for years should start here because the conversation needs to go beyond day-to-day finances.
Marriage often brings together not just two people, but two families, each with their own history, values and approach to wealth. That could include business interests, Trusts , investment portfolios, UK or overseas property, charitable giving or wealth built over generations, some of which you may never have discussed as a couple before.
In some families, parents may also be part of these discussions, particularly where there are long-standing family arrangements that one or both partners may not know much about and may eventually involve the next generation.
If the marriage creates a blended family, it's also worth talking about how each partner would like family wealth to pass to future generations and whether the plans already in place still reflect those wishes.
These conversations may not be as exciting as choosing a venue or tasting cake, and they can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but having them early can give both partners clarity and help avoid uncertainty later on.
For some families, pre-or post-nuptial agreements may become part of the conversation, especially where one or both partners already have significant assets or family wealth.
In plain English
Pre-nuptial agreement
A document drawn up and agreed by both partners before marriage deciding how financial assets such as cash, investments, properties and pensions will be split if the marriage ends in divorce.
Post-nuptial agreement
Works in the same way as a prenuptial agreement but is created after marriage.
Pre and post nuptial agreements aren’t legally binding in England and Wales, but courts will often give them significant weight provided certain conditions are met.
Conversation #2: What do we want our wealth to achieve?
The next conversation is about your ambitions as a couple. This isn't really about money, it's about what role you want your wealth to play in your family's future.
You may already have had informal chats about your hopes and dreams, but it’s worth saying your ambitions out loud now that you’ve formally committed to a life together. Having a clear sense of what you're working towards can make future financial decisions much easier.
Every couple will have different priorities. For some, it may involve helping children or grandchildren, supporting ageing parents or planning for the future of a family business. For others, it could be helping the next generation onto the property ladder, giving to charity or thinking about the legacy they'd like to leave.
The key thing to remember is that you shouldn’t just consider your short-term objectives but also ambitions for much later on.
It's easy to get caught up in what's coming next but this is also the time to think about where you'd like to be in 10, 20 or even 30 years' time. The clearer that picture is, the easier it becomes to make decisions that support it.
Conversation #3: Do our existing plans fit our goals?
Once you've understood what each partner is bringing to the marriage and agreed what you want to achieve together, it's worth reviewing whether your existing plans still support those ambitions.
The plans you put in place before marriage don't necessarily need replacing, but they may need to evolve to reflect your new family set up.
For many families, wealth may span investment portfolios, pension arrangements, property, private businesses and wider family structures, so it's important to look at everything together. Reviewing one area without considering the others could mean missing out on planning opportunities. For example, changing how a property is owned could have implications for estate planning and taxes, while updating a Will may prompt a wider review of Trust arrangements or succession plans.
In respect of this final point it is important to note that marriage can affect the validity of an existing Will, although the rules vary across the UK. In some cases, a Will may remain valid if it makes specific reference to the intended marriage and a refreshed Will might be a post wedding priority, Notably, a divorce has no such effect.
How much else needs to change will vary from couple to couple. For some, it may mean also mean reviewing property ownership or changing beneficiaries on life assurance policies, pensions and workplace death-in-service benefits. For others, it may involve a more comprehensive review.
You may need to ask yourselves:
- Do our Trust arrangements still reflect our family circumstances?
- Does our investment strategy still support what we’re trying to achieve?
- If one of us owns a business, do our succession plans still make sense?
- Do any wider family arrangements need revisiting?
Reviewing your existing plans is only part of the picture. Marriage can change the way the law and tax system treat certain assets and allowances so can open up new planning opportunities that may not have been available before. These may benefit you, your spouse and future generations.
The important point is that decisions don't sit in isolation. A change to one part of your financial life, such as how assets are owned or how a business is structured, can have implications for everything else. Looking at everything together, with an adviser, can help make sure every part of your financial planning suits your circumstances and long-term priorities.
Marriage can create new planning opportunities
- Assets can usually pass between spouses or civil partners without an inheritance tax charge, depending on your individual circumstances.
- Unused inheritance tax allowances may be transferable to the surviving spouse or civil partner, depending on your individual circumstances.
- Each spouse or civil partner has their own annual gifting exemption, which may form part of your wider inheritance tax planning.
- Parents and grandparents may also wish to make use of the inheritance tax exemptions available for wedding gifts, depending on their individual circumstances.
- Marriage can also be a good opportunity to review how property and other assets are owned as part of your wider family estate planning.
With the right plan, you’re on the right path
Wealth planning - Wealth management
The next chapter starts here
Marriage marks the beginning of a new chapter, making it a natural time to step back and review your plans. Not everything needs to change but taking a joined-up view of your finances can help you create the life you want to build together.
If you're getting married and would like to review your finances, speak to a Brown Shipley Client Advisor today about your long-term wealth strategy.
FAQs
Should we review our finances before getting married?
Yes, marriage is a natural point to review existing wealth plans to make sure they still align with your goals as a couple and the future you want to build together. It’s also a chance to see if any planning opportunities may arise from being legally married.
Should all couples have a pre-nuptial agreement?
Not necessarily. A pre-nuptial agreement may be worth considering where one or both partners have significant existing assets, inherited wealth, family businesses, Trusts or children from previous relationships. Although pre-nuptial agreements aren’t legally enforceable in England and Wales, the courts will often give them significant weight, provided certain conditions are met.
How does marriage affect Inheritance Tax?
Marriage may create new Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning opportunities. For example, assets can usually pass between spouses or civil partners without an IHT charge, depending on your circumstances, and there are a number of allowances and exemptions that may become available.
Should parents be involved in pre-marriage Wealth Planning?
It isn't essential in every family. But where family wealth, business interests or long-standing family arrangements are involved, bringing parents into the conversation may help ensure everyone has a shared understanding of the family's longer-term plans.
Does getting married mean we need to change our Wealth Planning?
Not necessarily. Marriage doesn’t mean existing plans automatically need changing but it’s a good opportunity to review whether they still reflect your circumstances and long-term family objectives.
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Information correct as of 7 October 2026.
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