Never ignore the nagging doubts about your relationship if you are planning to tie the knot, a researcher from University of Alberta said.

"If you are having doubts about the relationship, just ignoring them may make a difference years down the road," said Matthew Johnson who co-authored the study while at Kansas State University.

The study involved 610 couples. Researchers found that couples who were more confident about the wedding were more likely to be happier with the marriage after four years than couples who had doubts about the relationship.

Couples that make the marriage work seem to be constantly investing in the relationship, researchers say.

"These couples were spending time together, dining out, taking part in activities together, sharing meaningful conversation and physical expressions of affection. Those who are more confident in getting married are willing to invest in their relationships," Johnson said.

Johnson says that brushing aside nagging thoughts before the wedding is easy and that people might be tempted to go with the flow. However, people need to remember that the negative feeling about the marriage isn't always just cold-feet and "dealing with them will be beneficial."

Johnson added that pre-marital counseling might be a good way to talk about couples' concerns over the marriage and deal with the problems in the relationship.

The study is published in the journal Family Process.

According to a recent report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of first marriages never complete 20 years.

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