1 Decide what kind of spouse you want. Would a spouse, husband or wife, who is happy to be a homemaker suit you? Do you want a sweet and caring spouse who is family-oriented, or are you looking for someone who is work-oriented? Do you want a spouse with similar interests or do you think opposites attract?

2 Remember to read the bio data two or three times before meeting your potential partner. The bio data should spark some ideas of what you can ask your possible life partner about. For example you can ask, "What do you like about your hobby?" Or, you can say, "Oh, you like cooking and traveling - so do I!".

Try searching for him/her on Facebook, or on Twitter. It will give you some details about his/her life and likes.

3 Respect his/her parents. This could depend on local traditions. For example, in Hindu families, it may be customary to touch the feet of the girl's parents. But keep in mind that respect is not about certain traditions, it is a mindset.

4 Remember that it is okay for you or the other person to be nervous. calm down and smile . Make the other person feel comfortable.

5 Ask a few simple questions. For example, you can ask the meaning of his/her name as an ice breaker.

6 Ask him/her if he/she really wants to do an arranged marriage or prefers a love marriage. Both men and women go through pressure from family to meet potential partners. Make the other person feel comfortable so that they can open up and share their preferences, if they so desire.

7 Share your life and career goals with the other person and ask them the same. You can discuss about how each of you plans to maintain work and life balance, in the case where both want to work. In case any partner reveals a preference to stay at home, you can discuss about how both can build such a relationship.

8 Ask whether the other prefers a nuclear family or a joint family. Since most Indian women are expected by tradition to move to their spouse's home, it would be ideal to share what each of you prefers - nuclear or joint.

9 Discuss religious faith if it matters in the marriage.

10 Talk about each others hobbies. What habits are a turn on and what are a turn off. For example, many people may say that smoking is a big turn off for them.

11 Keep in mind that both men and women should try to understand how each of them adapt to changing scenarios in marriage. Both partners should discuss what they expect from a spouse with regard to responsibilities towards families. At the same time, both men and women should discuss if they have any specific preferences regarding family planning.

12 Keep in mind that in many cases, men and their families are quite conservative regarding the kind of clothes women can wear. Men should take care to respect a woman's preference regarding dressing - she may be willing to sacrifice her preferences for clothing to suit your and your family's preferences; or she may not be ready to give up what she likes to wear. As in the case of any disagreeing opinions, try to find out if a middle ground can be reached.

13 Discuss how much each of you earns. Reply if it is fixed salary or profit percentage. Explain if you are not salaried. Your work could be earning you profits. A concern regarding a business family is that it is driven for profits and if it makes losses then it will pledge all its assets to make sure that family name doesn't get spoiled and salary is paid to employees first. But in all of this, do remember that your relationship with the spouse is not a business deal. Also both should be comfortable in talking about finances to each other.

14 Avoid asking a potential partner about his/her past relationships. Neither should one feel obliged to speak about the past. It should come out of each person's ease or comfort in talking about it. Do not force answers out of the other person.

15 Be clear if you expect your partner to do a few duties. For example, if you have grandparents who are old and parents had been operated twice for health issues and you wanted your partner's support to take care of them, do mention it. This applies to both men and women, as both want to do the best for their parents.

16 Don't make it a monologue. The meeting should be a conversation.

17 Don't agree to marriage after the first meeting. Make sure that you have at least two or three good meetings before delivering the final decision.

18 Know that a lot of men and women may not reveal certain things about themselves in the first meeting itself. They may take time to open up, maybe only after the second or third meeting.

19 Speak to your own family about respecting your marriage partner once the marriage is finalized.