Who’s Leading the Marriage? The 20 Characteristics of a Wife Led Marriage

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A wife led marriage is when the woman in the relationship takes on most of the responsibility for managing and maintaining their household.

The man, however, still has some responsibilities that he needs to take care of too.

In this article, we’ll be discussing 10 characteristics that will help you determine if your marriage is a wife led one or not.



What does Wife Led Marriage Mean?

In a wife led marriage, the woman is usually in control of most decisions made.

The man doesn’t have as many responsibilities and lives all the decision-making to the wife.

In a female led marriage, although there is such a thing as a shared responsibility with both spouses working together to manage and maintain their household, it usually falls on the woman to take care of most if not all responsibilities.

The man typically has very few responsibilities that he needs to fulfill and usually doesn’t make many decisions about the relationship.

Can a Women Led Marriage work?

yes and no.

It depends on both partners’ willingness to work together, trust one another, and compromise.

If they can do that, then the marriage will probably be successful as long as it’s what both spouses want.

However, if there is a lack of communication or unwillingness to cooperate, the wife led marriage may not last very long because of its one-sided nature.

The 20 Characteristic and Signs of a Woman Led Marriage

1. The wife makes all the decisions about the relationship

The woman making most of the decisions is usually an indicator of who’s in charge in the relationship.

In many cases, the woman isn’t really “in charge” of anything and she just gives her husband what he wants to hear most of the time.

However, in a wife led marriage, this is not usually the case at all.

The woman will typically have the final say in just about everything that goes on, even if her husband isn’t completely happy with it.

If you find yourself constantly looking for advice and approval from your wife on just about anything, then you can bet that she’s in charge.

2. The wife decides how often they are intimate

In a woman-led marriage, the man doesn’t typically get to decide when and where they are intimate.

It’s usually up to the wife when it comes time for intimacy and she may even keep her husband at a distance most of the time.

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3. There is a double standard between genders

In a woman led marriage, the wife typically has more freedom than her husband does.

She can go out with friends and not worry about anything because she knows that he’ll be at home taking care of everything while she enjoys herself.

Of course, this isn’t always the case, but it happens often enough for us to consider it a general characteristic of a female-led relationship.

The man, on the other hand, will have much fewer freedoms in comparison to his wife.

He typically won’t even be able to take off from work without asking permission first or having to explain himself when he comes back late.

4. The wife earns more money than the husband

In a lot of female-led relationships, the woman will usually earn more money than her husband.

This can be very empowering for many women and it also makes sense when you consider that men typically make higher salaries in general compared to their wives.

However, if this is happening in your relationship, then take note because it’s considered one of the signs of a wife led marriage.

5. The wife treats the husband like her child

Many women in female-led marriages will treat their husbands like children.

They’ll make decisions for them without consulting them first, and they may even talk to him in a condescending tone.

These women usually take on the role of both parents while assuming that she is doing what’s best for her husband, which isn’t necessarily true all the time.

If you find your wife speaking down to you or treating you like a child, then this is an unmistakable sign of dominance over the relationship.

6. The husband must ask permission from his wife to do anything

In a female-led relationship, the man typically has to get permission from his wife before making any major decisions or taking on new responsibilities.

He’ll have very few freedoms and will constantly need approval for just about everything that he does in life.

This can be overwhelming at times because it isn’t always beneficial to him personally, but if you want a more traditional relationship, then this is how things may go down most of the time.

The last thing you wanna do is make your wife angry, so sometimes it’s easier just not doing anything instead of going against her wishes without knowing what she’ll say first!

7. The wife shows displeasure if the husband goes against her wishes

If your wife isn’t too happy about something that you decided to do without consulting with her first, then this is another sign of a female-led relationship.

She won’t be afraid to show it either and might even find ways to punish him for not including her in his decision-making process.

This can come across as being very controlling overtime because she typically has all the power when it comes down to anything that matters most between them both!

8. The husband is always the one to apologize

Even if you didn’t do anything wrong, your wife may still find a reason for you to apologize every day.

She might accuse you of not listening when she tells you something or being inconsiderate of her needs because they aren’t being met right away.

If this sounds familiar, then it’s likely that you’re in a wife led marriage because this is how most of these relationships work.

9. The husband does not have a say in important decisions

In some wife led marriages, the man will have no say whatsoever when it comes down to making any major decision.

He’ll simply be asked for his input and that’ll be about it.

The wife will then go ahead and make the final call regardless of what he has to say about it.

10. The wife sets the boundaries and rules

The man doesn’t usually get to set any boundaries or make up his own rules in a woman-led marriage.

Just like how he has very few responsibilities, he also isn’t given much leeway when it comes to determining what happens within the relationship.

If you find yourself constantly agreeing with your wife on just about everything and not having an opinion of your own, then this may be because she is really calling all the shots here.

11. The wife often controls how the kids are disciplined

The wife usually gets to decide how the kids are disciplined in a woman-led marriage.

If you’re not allowed to discipline your own children or she decides that it is unnecessary, then this can be an indicator of who really has control over things here.

Sometimes wives will allow their husbands some say when it comes time for disciplining their children, but they typically have the final say on everything involving them as well.

12. The wife gets to determine money matters

Money is typically an area where woman-led marriage becomes obvious.

For most women, this is a place where they are able to really take control and feel that they have something of their own power with finances.

If you find yourself with very little say in how money is spent or if your wife seems to be controlling everything here, then it’s probably because she has complete authority over these things.

It’s not unusual for wives who lead marriages like these to keep track of every penny that goes out and may even decide what expenses can get priority when it comes time for spending too.

13. The wife chooses activities for the family

A woman-led marriage will typically allow very little say when it comes to choosing what kind of activities you get to do as a family.

If everything is left up to her, then there’s usually not much that you get any choice in, even if your children are involved too.

Even though this may be an area where both spouses could join together and choose something they all like, wives who lead marriages often don’t see the need or value in letting their husbands have any input here.

14. The wife decides where the family will live

Choosing a home for you and your children is often an area that wives who lead marriages are very comfortable with.

If they get to choose where everyone lives, then it’s pretty obvious that she has complete control over this part of their life.

Oftentimes, husbands have no say at all in choosing where his family lives because he simply doesn’t have any authority here.

This can be anything from deciding on when it comes time to move again or even finding out about new homes before they become available too.

15. The wife decides how often the family will see relatives

The way that a woman-led marriage works are that she gets to control just about everything, including when and where you get to visit with your relatives.

If it’s her decision as to whether or not you can go out of town for Thanksgiving dinner, then this may be an obvious sign of who leads things here.

16. The wife decides what the family will do for entertainment

In a woman-led marriage, it’s often pretty clear who calls all the shots when it comes to deciding how you and your children are going to spend your free time.

If she gets to decide whether or not you get to go out with friends after work on Friday night, then this is another sign that she leads things in terms of making decisions here.

Not only does her husband usually never get any input into these choices, but he may also find himself excluded from many activities simply because his opinions just aren’t asked for either.

17. The wife chooses the family’s church

Choosing a place to go to services can be an area where women who lead marriages take complete control.

If you find that all of your spiritual needs are being taken care of without any input from you, then this may be another sign that she is in charge here.

Even if both spouses attend the same place together, it will typically always be at her choosing too, and not because he had any say in picking somewhere either.

18. The wife decides on the family’s vacation

In a wife led marriage, the wife usually makes all decisions concerning family vacation.

The husband may have input, but ultimately it is her that calls the shots.

She might even state that she will only go on vacation if he agrees with everything she wants to do for this time away together as a family.

19. The wife decides if the family will have any pets

Even though your children may beg for a puppy or kitten, it’s typically not going to happen without her approval.

If she has the final say in this area of their life, then there is no doubt that you are living in a woman-led marriage.

20. She is the spiritual leader

In a wife led marriage, it is the woman who takes complete control of your faith and spirituality.

This means that she will typically lead all prayers at home as well as what church to attend.

She might even take care of making sure everyone in the family goes to church on Sundays, too.

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