Relationship experts report that too many couples fail to ask each other critical questions before marrying. Here are a few key ones that couples should consider asking:

1) Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary care giver?

2) Do we have a clear idea of each other’s financial obligations and goals, and do our ideas about spending and saving mesh?

3) Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?

4) Have we fully disclosed our health histories, both physical and mental?

5) Is my partner affectionate to the degree that I expect?

6) Can we comfortably and openly discuss our sexual needs, preferences and fears?

7) Will there be a television in the bedroom?

Do we truly listen to each other and fairly consider one another’s ideas and complaints?

9) Have we reached a clear understanding of each other’s spiritual beliefs and needs, and have we discussed when and how our children will be exposed to religious/moral education?

10) Do we like and respect each other’s friends?

11) Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?

12) What does my family do that annoys you?

13) Are there some things that you and I are NOT prepared to give up in the marriage?

14) If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move?

15) Does each of us feel fully confident in the other’s commitment to the marriage and believe that the bond can survive whatever challenges we may face?
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Pastor Bill Yaccino

www.pastorbill.org

Pastor Bill has been serving in full time local church ministry for over 18 years. He loves helping couples start right and build a healthy marriage relationshi

Tip number 1:  Don’t leave it too late.  Planning a wedding can be a time-consuming and occasionally stressful experience.  Having a good wingman in place right at the start will not only help you, but it’ll make your best man feel like he’s doing his job properly.

Tip number 2:  Choose someone reliable.  Your best man going to be responsible for getting you to the wedding on time, so choose wisely!  Ideally he’ll also be sort of guy who can be relied on to help out with one or two of the numerous small jobs involved in planning a wedding.  Good “best man” jobs include drawing up a playlist of songs for your DJ and putting together a map and directions to the venue for your guests.

Tip number 3:  Trust your instincts.   You may have more than one person who expects you to choose them as best man.  If you find yourself in the “two brothers and three best friends” scenario, then all you can do is trust your instincts and try not to worry about upsetting others.  If they’re good friends, they’ll understand.  You can always make people feel included in a wedding by asking them to act as ushers/groomsmen, give a reading at the ceremony, or even give a speech.  But, by definition, there can only be one best man!
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The author is editor of GroomPower.com, a wedding advice site for grooms.  It has tips on honeymoon planning, the groom’s outfit, choosing the wedding rings, and more.

Many couples get together, get married, and hope things work out and if they don’t, they move on. A relationship with that kind of false hope is most likely doomed from the beginning.

Marriage is supposed to be a sacred contract for a lifetime commitment. It is not some kind of social contract or something you just “do” for as long as you both shall “love.” To me, that statement reeks of no commitment. However for many couples that seems to be the expectation.

Marriage is not an experiment, littered with prenuptial agreements; gushy platitudes and an attitude of “Try me! If it doesn’t work, you can always bail out!” Your vows must mean something for your relationship to prosper. This kind of commitment demands discipline and perseverance. Marriage is tough work – it does not “just happen.”

So. . . is it “for as long as you both shall love” or “for as long as you both shall live?”

Think about this: If we truly believe it is “for as long as you both shall live,” then perhaps we might choose our love partners differently!

We must live our lives with our love partners as if we are inventing a great love story.

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Copyright © 2009 - Larry James. This idea is adapted from Larry’s Wedding Website. Larry James is a non-denominational minister and performs the most “Romantic” wedding ceremony you will find anywhere! You will find more than 430 pages of Wedding ideas, tips (90 tips and growing), ceremonies, and more at: http://www.celebrateintimateweddings.com.

As photographers, Adam and I are there throughout the entire wedding process. We do our best to help you find other vendors, figure out your wedding timeline, offer advice on creative ideas to incorporate into you day… and we’re there behind the scenes. We see everything that happens on your wedding day. And with each wedding we photograph, we learn something new to bring with us. For example, we’ve upgraded our sewing kit scissors that we always have on us to a larger, sharper pair. Our scissors have been used to cut the rings off the pillow, cut hanger straps off of dresses, and cut the aisle ribbon so processional could start So, we thought we’d extend our help even further by offering our “Wedding Words of Wisdom,” which will be a regular addition to our blog now. Whenever we learn something new that can help with your wedding day, we’ll post it! This week, we have some words of wisdom about getting dressed.

1) Label the tuxes and bridesmaids dresses. You’d be surprised how often we see these mixed up. Actually, they were mixed up on our own wedding day, too. Adam said, “Dude, my pants are too long.” And our best man Dave said, “Dude, my pants are too short.” Then they realized that they had switched their pants. Oopsies. So they changed their pants in the car on their way to our wedding I’ve seen the same thing happen with bridesmaids. The simple task of labeling with save a lot of chaos.

2) You get your dress, you get it altered, and then it hangs in your closet until the wedding day, right? Ok, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS. People gain and lose weight, and you don’t want to figure that out on the day of the wedding when your dress suddenly doesn’t fit you right. Try your dress on a couple of months before the wedding so you can see if you need to alter your dress (or yourself) again.

3) Try your dress on (and get it altered) with the undergarments that you’ll be wearing on the wedding day. You’d be surprised at how many times I’ve seen women stitching their dress to their bra ON the wedding day because their bra is showing. Or they have to take their bra off entirely. Or they have to run home to try a different bra. You get the point. Also, walk around the house in different lighting (natural, warm bathroom lighting, florescent lighting, and bright outdoor lighting) to make sure you can’t see your undergarments through your dress in any circumstance.

4) Get clear deodorant. White marks on your dress (of any color) is not that pretty.

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Husband and wife creative team, Miranda and Adam of Reminisce Photography & Design share a passion for capturing life’s best… from your ‘everyday’ to your ‘Big Day.” They are photographers and artists who have a sensitive heart, trained eye and creative instinct.

We’ve been talking a lot about wedding photos recently, and we’re curious to learn what everyone does with their wedding photos. Please take a minute to fill out the poll below. (select all that apply)