I know a couple that has been married for fifty years. When they first tied the knot, they must have tied it well and double knotted it because they are more in love now than they ever were. I just had to ask what their secret is since I have been married twice myself and I’m hoping this one will last forever. What I learned is actually no secret at all. In fact, it is common knowledge that most of us tend to forget or take for granted from time to time.

John and Mary were poor when they married back in the fifties. He worked his heart out in the automobile industry and she waited tables deep into the night shift. They saved their money diligently and started a family. They encountered many difficulties over the years but the one thing they held true to was their love for each other. John told me that the secret to his marital longevity was simple. Whenever he tried to imagine what his life would be like if his Mary were suddenly gone it would scare him so bad that he knew he could not bear it. Mary told me just about the same thing. She looks at their friends who are married and thanks God every day that her John is not like the other husbands who stay out late at night and put their marriages second.

Dedicated to my brother and his wife, who are no longer with us now.

There is a long moment in time as a you, the groom, waits at the alter. This moment seems to be suspended in time. It floats there before him, making him dizzy with anticipation. He is so much in love and on this day, the day they will promise to be together forever, he has only caught glimpses of her. Then suddenly, the moment is broken as she appears at the back of the chapel, holding her proud and beaming father’s arm. She begins to glide over the flower petals toward him and he catches his breathe, he has to because the angelic way she appears in her wedding dress has taken his breathe away.

Your near future Father-in-law gives you a last look that says you had better not hurt his daughter but you do not notice, because you are still enraptured by her beauty, her confidence, her elegant radiance. Suddenly, those decisions that seemed so important just a few weeks before, like whether to get wedding favors or unique wedding favors, are meaningless. They are so far away from you now, like a distant memory, wisping away in a breeze, that you barely remember them.

Imagine that you were going to get married. What would be, in your mind, the perfect place for such an occasion to take place? For many people asked this very question, the first thing that pops in their mind is a church. Occasionally some people answer with a location that is considered to be romantic, yet some think it is unorthodox. The location in which they think of is a beach. Think about it, how many times can you say that you have attended a wedding on a beach? Not very often is it?

The location of a beach causes other questions to arise as well. It often leaves people wondering to themselves what some ideas for beach wedding favors are, as well as if they should also invest in some summer wedding favors to go along with the theme. Both themes pretty much coincide together because when one thinks of a beach, they generally think of the summertime as well. The trick is to find things which actually fit with the surroundings.

The average time of day for most weddings is one o’clock in the afternoon. There is nothing wrong with getting married at one o’clock in the afternoon, if you are an average kind of couple. However, if you are not average, you may want to consider saying your nuptials at a more romantic time of day. Another very popular time to sanctify your faith in one another is at sunset. Pulling in a close third is a fresh and renewing sunrise. To start the day rejoicing in the one you love is always a great idea.

Sunsets are wondrous affairs when shared with the one you love. As you look forward to a lifetime of sunsets together, why not kick your marriage off right and begin with a romantic sunset wedding. This can be particularly gratifying if you are on a beach, by a lake, or even in the mountains.

Men are usually overwhelmed with what gifts he needs to buy for his friends. On the wedding day, giving gifts to your groomsmen is something that you have to do to show your gratitude to your close friends who were there to help make your day special. Besides assisting you with the wedding ceremony, your groomsmen are most probably your closest friends who have been there for you through good and bad times. You can show them your appreciation by giving them special gifts on your big day.

Groomsmen gifts should not be cheap and effortless. It does not mean that you have to spend too much. You just have to remember that this does not happen every day so you have to put an extra effort on your gifts? Do not just pick something random and hope that they will like it. Do not leave the responsibility to your fiancee or just with anybody else. You are the one who knows your friends better.

Remember your college days? The good times which you shared with your friends during those long lost yester-years still replay frequently through your head. Remember all of your friends? How they aspired more then anything to have the picture perfect family and a career to die for after graduation. Those were the days weren’t they?

How many friends of yours actually planned out their weddings while in school? Surely there was talk amongst the female student body of what flowers they would want, or even what type of bridal shower and bridal shower favors they would want. After all college days meant that you had little to worry about except your next exam, so surely there was spare time for you and your friends to talk amongst yourselves and even discuss your futures. It is common knowledge that a woman’s favorite flower is often incorporated in some way into her wedding shower favors, so sometimes it pays to listen and pay attention to your classmates daydreams.

Do you remember as a small child, watching The Little Mermaid or even Beauty and the Beast? As enchanting as these childhood movies were and still are, they had some familiarities. Everyone knows that the Little Mermaid finds love, and of all places it is not under the sea, just like the main character in Beauty and the Beast.

Both of the main characters in these movies meet their very own personal prince charming. Now you know how the plots play out, they fall into forbidden love of sorts, and get married. Now since there are weddings in these two films, how come we never see any bridal shower favors or wedding shower favors? Were these two strikingly and breathtakingly beautiful princesses deprived of a bridal shower? It seems as though old Walt Disney over looked a couple of things while putting these films together.

With the world becoming a smaller place as the internet and efficient airline companies link everyone; it is no wonder that more mixed marriages are taking place all over the world. It is indeed common to hear of a man from the west marrying a girl from the east. Hence, today, Indian, Korean, Japanese and Malay weddings have become the norm among people all over the world. Very often, couples meet in the glamorous capitals of the world like London, New York and Paris. Yet, when it comes to settling down, they would rather return to their country of origin where family and friends are, to have a traditional and more meaningful wedding.

At times, two wedding ceremonies are held. For instance, if a western man marries an Asian girl from India, you might hear of them having both a church and temple wedding. This would call for twice the amount of planning, yet it has been done to appease both the bride and groom’s families. It is also done as a form of respect to the couple’s upbringing and cultural backgrounds.

One of the most annoying things when sitting down at a reception is the enormous size of the centerpiece. They tower and you end up playing peek-a-boo with the person sitting across from you. Sometimes the centerpiece is so huge you can’t even see the person on the opposite side of the table. Guests start cracking jokes about how they can’t see and they can’t enjoy the company. Here are five great ideas for unique centerpieces that stay low to the table and allow people to actually see one another.

The following centerpiece ideas fit any wedding’s theme, color, or season. Essentially, they are jump off points where you allow your imagination and personality to shine through. Most importantly, they stay low to the table so guests easily see one another. If you insist on large centerpieces, make the height high enough and the trunk thin enough so people can still have a conversation with the entire table.

Buying wedding anniversary gifts for her can be a difficult task! Here are 4 great wedding anniversary present ideas for your wife, to get you on the right track!

A classic gift with a personalized touch. A really nice locket with a picture of you already enclosed makes a really nice present. Or maybe a classy fountain pen with her name (or a special message) engraved makes for a unique gift. Write your wife a poem or love letter put it in a bottle. Voila – romantic message in a bottle!

Especially if you don’t go out often, your wife will appreciate being taken out. Do things you don’t normally do. Go to a restaurant that is fancier than you normally go to and check out an evening show. You could even go ice-skating, to the ballet or to a musical. Make sure that it is an evening to remember – so you might want to bring your camera!

A day off from housework. This idea was submitted to me, I am not sure I entirely agree with it (husbands, you should be helping around the house anyway!). But it is good if you are on a budget and don’t regularly help out with the housework. An overworked and underpaid housewife will appreciate this break from the chores.