At the end of all my favorite cheesy rom-coms, the two best friends who never knew they liked each other finally realize it and live happily ever after. Of course, it’s never really that simple in real life, but it’s great when it does work out that way. Even though it’s not always perfect or the best move for everyone, I wanted to share 10 of my favorite things I’ve learned about dating (and eventually marrying) one of my best friends:

1. He’s already seen me in my most casual outfit (ahem, sweats).

When you’re first dating someone, you always want to look your best, even when you’re just watching a movie at home. Since he was my best friend for so long, I felt comfortable with him, even wearing PJ’s or sweats when we hung out. So much more comfy!

2. You have more memories to share with each other.

Instead of starting from scratch to create memories connecting you, you have oodles of memories together already. Probably even a lot of great ones if you really wanted to date this friend. This builds a bigger bond and gives you lots of stories to look back on and laugh about together.

3. You already know about each other’s exes.

How intimidating is it to ask about each other’s past relationship history when you first start dating? Do you ask right away? Wait a while? How stellar would it be if you already knew their history when you started dating them!? Maybe you’ve even met the exes! 

I’m not going to lie, the fact that I knew my partner’s dating history was something I was super happy about when we started dating.

4. You’ve already met each other’s family and friends.

Since you’ve been in each other’s lives for a while, “meeting the family” isn’t quite as intimidating as it could be. You might have hung out with each other’s family, or even shared a semi-awkward meal with them, where your family asks you later “what’s up with you two?”

5. You’ve been on a “date” before you even dated.

Maybe those “hang outs” were already even better than that random date you had last month with that weirdo from Tinder. When you date someone you’re friends with, conversation will flow and you get to skip the small talk. Plus, you already know you’re going to have fun with each other!

6. You’ve earned each other’s loyalty and trust before the first date.

This is HUGE! Think about how long it takes you to trust your friends. Now think about how long it takes you to trust a new potential partner. What if you got to skip that part when you start dating someone? It’s pretty awesome! You go into the relationship already knowing you have each other’s backs.

7. It doesn’t always go smoothly, but because you know you’re both in it for the long haul, you’re more willing to work through it instead of running away.

In a society that I feel gives up too quickly on relationships sometimes, I feel like dating someone who’s already in your life will give you that extra push to get through the hard times. Life isn’t always easy, but knowing how committed you both are to making the relationship work will help you take care of your issues sooner than later.

8. You still have plenty of things to learn about each other.

No matter how much I thought I knew about my friend, it doesn’t even compare to how much I’ve been learning since we’ve been together. Sometimes these new things just come out in conversation, but honestly, sometimes it’s kind of fun to just ask random things I’m not sure I know about him yet.

9. The two of you have a special, deep kind of love.

I don’t know about you, but saying “I love you” can be kind of easy sometimes. Saying it is one thing, but when you mean it, you can feel the love inside your bones. It’s a scary experience loving someone, giving your heart to them. Somehow though, when you date someone you’re already close friends with, you’ve already given them a part of your heart just by adoring them so much. When you start to date them, that love explodes tenfold! Loving them becomes the most magical thing, because it’s built on love from friendship and deepened with the love you share in romance.

10. You get to spend so much more time with your best friend.

And in return, your friendship is even stronger! I thought we were pretty great friends before, but wow, the adventures we’ve had have grown that friendship incredibly. The more time you spend with your partner, the more and more you want to spend time with them and the more excited you will be to keep growing with them.

The post 10 of the best, most surprising things about dating my best friend appeared first on HelloGiggles.