What does a royal couple do to mark such an important occasion as a diamond wedding anniversary? Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their nuptials by returning to their roots, so to speak.
While Queen Elizabeth has lived most of her life in England, she did reside for a brief period on the island of Malta. Those around at the time of the closely watched and somewhat controversial wedding of Princess Elizabeth to the Grecian-born Prince Philip will remember the short stint the royal couple spent on the island of Malta.
Just two years after renouncing his Greek heritage and claim to royalty there, Philip was fulfilling his duties as a British royal and serving in the Royal Navy at his post on the Mediterranean island.
Additionally, he had been conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh by Elizabeth's father, King George VI. Elizabeth visited her new husband at various times in Malta, and both lived there for a two year period between 1949 and 1951, not long after the birth of their first child, Prince Charles.
Little is known about the couple's private life in Malta at the time. It seems fitting, however, that the Queen and Duke returned to the place they spent a significant part of their early years together. And that they did; to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary last November. The couple paid tribute to their own wedding vows by sharing the occasion with other couples who were also marking their diamond anniversaries. Indeed, what better way to celebrate such a milestone than to meet and consort with the royal couple of Britain? Said one diamond anniversary celebrant: "My husband and I were delighted to meet the Queen for the first time in our lives."
Many royal watchers and newscasters have billed the Queen and Duke's visit to Malta as a "second honeymoon." Though neither of them has ever admitted this publicly, it was reported that the trip was the idea of the Duke himself, perhaps an anniversary gift to his wife.
Their stay in Malta was only one stop on a royal tour, which included an official trip to Uganda. While they may have been able to disguise their stay in Malta as official business, many of those who had the opportunity to mingle with Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh speculate that there must have been an element of romance in their brief visit.
The Queen is said to have many fond memories of her early years with her husband and young son in Malta before ascending to the royal throne of Britain at the tender age of 25. At the time of the royal couple's residence there, Malta was a Protectorate of the British government. Though Malta gained independent status in 1964, the island still maintains very close ties to the British Monarchy. Those who reside there joyously celebrated with the Queen and the Duke in November. There is little doubt that Malta remains an important location in the lives of the royal couple.
Marriage Celebration
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Welcome Your Guests With Wedding Reception
Wedding reception favors say so much to your guests. It takes months to plan everything for your wedding and then finally it is time and you get married. This is when the fun will really begin.
The wedding reception favors will be waiting on each table inviting your guest to join you having fun. It is important that you pick out your wedding favors with care. They don't need to cost a lot of money but they do need to welcome your guest.
The wedding is very important when you get married but to every couple the wedding reception is just as important. This is when the bride and groom get to share their special occasion with their friends and family. They also get to share their joy of getting married. The first gesture for every married couple at the reception is the wedding reception favors. So they should convey a special message to your guests. It doesn't matter if the wedding favors are small, large, expensive or thrifty. The wedding favors need to tell your guests that you want them to join the fun and that you are glad they are there to share your special day with you.
Personal wedding reception favors are the best ones. It should reflect something about the bride and groom and their relationship. Symbols of love are wedding favors that you see used quite often because of this reason. Some cheap favors for your wedding reception that you can use would be confetti, heart shaped boxes, ribbons, or candies.
The secret to choosing the right wedding reception favors is to go with something simple. This means they will not cost you very much. When your guests arrive at your reception the arrangement of the table setting needs to be as welcoming as the wedding favors are. The reason for this is because with the correct table setting even the cheapest wedding favors can be highly effective if you have arranged them thoughtfully. Some examples you can use are pretty stationary and wild flowers. For a lovely wedding reception you do not have to spend a lot of money.
Brides all over the world will spend hours poring over the bridal magazines. When you look at these magazines you will see many beautiful table setting examples. The best thing is you can set them up with creativity and care and with not a lot of cost.
So make sure that you welcome your wedding guests by finding the perfect wedding reception favors that convey the happiness of your special day. You want to arrange the wedding favors with care so that your guests feel welcome when they arrive.
Every wedding is special to the bride and groom but with the right wedding favors you will make it even more special. So be sure you take your time and find exactly what you want.
If you can follow along these guidelines set above, you will have great success on your very special day, your wedding day!
The Importance Of Wedding
Your wedding celebration is supposed to be the most memorable and perfect night of your life. You need to do everything you can to make this night absolutely perfect and an amazing representation of your dreams and all the hopes you had for your perfect wedding. All of your guests are also expecting to let loose and have a really good time celebrating with you and everyone that you have chosen to invite. The important parts of your reception are basically everything and you cannot afford to forget any part of the celebration because it is all really essential. The wedding favors, however, are certainly the most important part of remembering your celebration and making sure that all of your guests feel appreciated and will never forget the amazing party.
Your wedding favors are not only memorabilia for each and every single one of your valued guests but also decorations that serve a functional purpose at your reception. You can make your wedding favors into really unique ways of decorating your tables and the places that your guests will be most of the night. This is a tactic that will certainly impress everyone. Things like candles can help you set a romantic ambiance that will make everyone appreciate the night. Other ideas are place card holders because they are functional decorations that double as wedding favors for your guests to take home. Not only do the favors show all of your guests the appreciation you have for them, they also add to your decorations.
The other great thing about wedding favors is that they bring the whole party together. If you pick out something that really symbolizes the relationship of love and care between you and your new spouse then everyone will really feel that throughout the night. Then, once everyone brings their favor home they will each have a piece of that night with them forever to serve as decorations for their own home or anything else that they decide to do with them. This is a great sentiment that has made the tradition of giving out wedding favors a really great and enduring one. In the past, the tradition started out as a means of bearing witness to the union of the couple but it has carried on today for many different reasons that just keep evolving because everyone has a different perception of what the meaning of certain traditions are.
Wedding favors are also a great opportunity for you to express yourself by choosing the style, color, and type of favor you are going to give out to your valued guests. You can make them fit into the theme of your whole reception or you can choose to make them stand out as a statement of love, commitment, and eternity. There are lots of symbolic elements that you can employ to make everything a little bit more meaningful for both you and your new spouse along with all of your guests that attended the reception. Show your appreciation for everyone's support by picking out something personal and useful.
The Importance Of Wedding
Your wedding celebration is supposed to be the most memorable and perfect night of your life. You need to do everything you can to make this night absolutely perfect and an amazing representation of your dreams and all the hopes you had for your perfect wedding. All of your guests are also expecting to let loose and have a really good time celebrating with you and everyone that you have chosen to invite. The important parts of your reception are basically everything and you cannot afford to forget any part of the celebration because it is all really essential. The wedding favors, however, are certainly the most important part of remembering your celebration and making sure that all of your guests feel appreciated and will never forget the amazing party.
Your wedding favors are not only memorabilia for each and every single one of your valued guests but also decorations that serve a functional purpose at your reception. You can make your wedding favors into really unique ways of decorating your tables and the places that your guests will be most of the night. This is a tactic that will certainly impress everyone. Things like candles can help you set a romantic ambiance that will make everyone appreciate the night. Other ideas are place card holders because they are functional decorations that double as wedding favors for your guests to take home. Not only do the favors show all of your guests the appreciation you have for them, they also add to your decorations.
The other great thing about wedding favors is that they bring the whole party together. If you pick out something that really symbolizes the relationship of love and care between you and your new spouse then everyone will really feel that throughout the night. Then, once everyone brings their favor home they will each have a piece of that night with them forever to serve as decorations for their own home or anything else that they decide to do with them. This is a great sentiment that has made the tradition of giving out wedding favors a really great and enduring one. In the past, the tradition started out as a means of bearing witness to the union of the couple but it has carried on today for many different reasons that just keep evolving because everyone has a different perception of what the meaning of certain traditions are.
Wedding favors are also a great opportunity for you to express yourself by choosing the style, color, and type of favor you are going to give out to your valued guests. You can make them fit into the theme of your whole reception or you can choose to make them stand out as a statement of love, commitment, and eternity. There are lots of symbolic elements that you can employ to make everything a little bit more meaningful for both you and your new spouse along with all of your guests that attended the reception. Show your appreciation for everyone's support by picking out something personal and useful.
Candle Lamp Wedding
The amazing part about your wedding is that you can really put your personality into it and get everyone really excited. You can have a themed wedding that your guests will really love because they will be sucked into the excitement, glamour, and mystery of your reception. If they are really having a great time at your party then it will become one of the most memorable that they have ever been to and they will love you for making it such a great time for them. No matter what your theme is, you can always add in some extra candles because there are so many different kinds. You can really get the romantic and loving mood set with candles at the tables and used as decorations in various places at your wedding reception.
There is honestly no better way to get your guests into the party and make them feel the love that you and your new spouse share. Especially romantic candles are candle lamps because the shade makes the light for the flame even more ethereal and incandescent so your guests will feel a sense of mystery and enchantment when they walk into the room. The best part is that they get to bring one of these wonderful decorations home with them and they will have a physical remembrance and keepsake from the special day that you made them a part of. They will all love displaying these amazing favors in their own homes to look at and remember all the great memories that they made while celebrating your special day with you. Here are a few examples of the ways in which you can incorporate these directly into your décor.
Pumpkin Coach Candle Lamp:
This will add even more mystery and enchantment to your wedding because it comes directly from one of the most perfect fairy tales of all time. With these wedding favors right out of the Cinderella story you will certainly be setting the pretext for a living happily ever after like in every fairytale that you ever dreamed of. If you are having a princess or fairy tale themed wedding then this will go absolutely perfectly and will add a romantic air to the party that your guests will really appreciate.
Calla Lily Candle Lamp:
This candle lamp is the perfect representation of delicacy. Flowers represent eternity and that is exactly the message you want to give to all of your guests on this night that you and your new spouse have entered into an eternal bond with each other. The great part is that this will also reflect the mood and beauty of the bride, capturing her unique beauty but also showing the delicacy of a woman. Calla lilies are traditionally used as decorations at weddings because of these reasons that I have mentioned.
There are really just so many options out there for you that you should just start looking. I am sure you will find the perfect wedding favors if you just put in a little bit of time and effort for your decision.
Candle Lamp Wedding
The amazing part about your wedding is that you can really put your personality into it and get everyone really excited. You can have a themed wedding that your guests will really love because they will be sucked into the excitement, glamour, and mystery of your reception. If they are really having a great time at your party then it will become one of the most memorable that they have ever been to and they will love you for making it such a great time for them. No matter what your theme is, you can always add in some extra candles because there are so many different kinds. You can really get the romantic and loving mood set with candles at the tables and used as decorations in various places at your wedding reception.
There is honestly no better way to get your guests into the party and make them feel the love that you and your new spouse share. Especially romantic candles are candle lamps because the shade makes the light for the flame even more ethereal and incandescent so your guests will feel a sense of mystery and enchantment when they walk into the room. The best part is that they get to bring one of these wonderful decorations home with them and they will have a physical remembrance and keepsake from the special day that you made them a part of. They will all love displaying these amazing favors in their own homes to look at and remember all the great memories that they made while celebrating your special day with you. Here are a few examples of the ways in which you can incorporate these directly into your décor.
Pumpkin Coach Candle Lamp:
This will add even more mystery and enchantment to your wedding because it comes directly from one of the most perfect fairy tales of all time. With these wedding favors right out of the Cinderella story you will certainly be setting the pretext for a living happily ever after like in every fairytale that you ever dreamed of. If you are having a princess or fairy tale themed wedding then this will go absolutely perfectly and will add a romantic air to the party that your guests will really appreciate.
Calla Lily Candle Lamp:
This candle lamp is the perfect representation of delicacy. Flowers represent eternity and that is exactly the message you want to give to all of your guests on this night that you and your new spouse have entered into an eternal bond with each other. The great part is that this will also reflect the mood and beauty of the bride, capturing her unique beauty but also showing the delicacy of a woman. Calla lilies are traditionally used as decorations at weddings because of these reasons that I have mentioned.
There are really just so many options out there for you that you should just start looking. I am sure you will find the perfect wedding favors if you just put in a little bit of time and effort for your decision.
Silver Place Card Wedding Favors
When your guests walk into the dining hall they will be a little bit confused as to what to do and where to go to enjoy the rest of the night. The decorations and lights and food can really be a little bit blinding for them all as they walk into the room and try to take it all in. If you want your guests to really have a great night then you should do all that is in your power to really get them to feel comfortable. Also, if you pick out some great place card holders for your wedding there will be a great atmosphere of decorations and themes if you match them to the color scheme you have chosen. Anything you pick for these place card holders will be amazing because they will end up being functional pieces of your décor.
Silver is a classic metal to use at weddings because of its reflective nature that you can see yourself in. The beauty of silver is amazing and all of your guests will love having a small silver relic from your wedding to remember all of the good times they had with you. There are a lot of different kinds of place card holders that you can find that are made out of silver so that your guests will be really impressed. Place card holders are amazing because you can even stick in your own personal messages or anything else that you would like. You can get creative and put pictures of your favorite memories in there if you would like to and if you think your guests will enjoy that type of sentiment coming from you on your special day. The most important thing is to just make this as memorable as possible for you and each and every single one of your guests that have come to share this extra special day with you.
Love Place Card Holder:
This is a silver made place card holder that will be absolutely wonderful for you to display at the tables. The word love is in bold letters on the left side of the base and is in three dimensional figures. The message of love will bring everyone really close together and the atmosphere will be felt. The romance will definitely be in the air and everyone will feel like you are really starting something special together after this day with your ceremony and your reception. Each and every person at your party will feel like they are a part of the celebration.
Silver Bell Wedding Favors:
These follow the tradition of ringing a bell when you want a toast to happen or there to be a kiss between the bride and groom. There is a wonderful atmosphere that surrounds the ringing of a bell. The great thing about these ones though is that there is a spiral that you can stick place cards into. You can even put messages about the wedding favors for your guests to read and enjoy.
Nostalgic Christmas Wedding
The best times to celebrate with family are on days that are really special to you and require a lot of planning and time to make them perfect. Your wedding is one of those days and if you combine it with the feeling of the holiday season then everyone will really understand the love that you feel.
You will be able to bring a kind of warmth to your reception that will make everyone feel really close together. The great thing is that there are a lot of different feelings all coming together in this celebration because you will be drawing from decorations that make everyone feel good and really feel like they are in the middle of the season right there with you. The snow of w inter can be a great thing to add in to your decorations especially since the wedding dress is white and glitter and the bride will look like a shining snowflake. Christmas time is the time for celebrating family and good fortune in light of the coming New Year and your wedding is the start of the rest of your life together with your new spouse.
This is a great link between the two celebrations and you can really play off of this with your decorations. Your guests will definitely remember the night and the memories they made there for the rest of their lives because you gave them a truly unique experience. Here are a couple examples of wedding favors that you can use to incorporate this classic theme into your reception.
Double Hearts Design Christmas Ornament:
This is great because it really gives that ultimate combination of love and holiday feeling for all of your guests. This will conjure images of decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping presents, and eating a warm meal with all of your relatives. It is strange how similar your wedding reception process will be -- you will have to plan everything, decorate the hall, find gifts for your guests, and you will share a fantastic meal with everyone with a celebratory air the whole time. So, inspire the feeling of the holidays with these stunning wedding favors.
24 Silver Bells Box:
These come right out of a fantastic Christmas song and all your guests will recognize their beauty as soon as they walk into the dining hall. The tradition of ringing the bells for a toast or a kiss between the bride and groom is basically packaged in a box for you with this wedding favor so that you can just set them out and have your guests enjoy them. The bells have a little message attached to them that gives your guests the instructions about how they should use the silver bells to call for a toast or a kiss. You can even try making a personal message for these and writing it on the back of the message that is already there so that they will be even more personal and meaningful for each and every single one of your valued guests.
Discount Wedding
Obviously you want to have the most perfect and amazing wedding celebration ever so that everyone will remember you and what you did on your special day. Your wedding day should really make all of your dreams come true. However, it can get so much more expensive than you can dream of sometimes. The price of a wedding just keeps getting more and more out of hand because of all the expensive trends and the fact that we invite so many people to our celebrations. If you do not have a lot of money to waste and you really need to watch your budget, then you need to make sure that you keep track of every single thing that you buy. The problem with this is that there can be so many different things that you realize you need to get and make really perfect to impress all of your guests.
The way to eliminate some of your cost will be to cut the cost of wedding favors. This is because the favors can end up costing a lot of money because you need to get one for every single guest that has come to celebrate with you and make a lot of memories. However, the favors are still a really important part of your wedding because they serve as the way your guests will remember the night and also as decorative pieces that will fit in with your theme that you have chosen. So they still have to be high quality but it is equally as important that they are really affordable so that you do not go over your strict budget that you need to watch out for the whole time that you are planning. So here are a couple examples of wedding favors that you can choose and not have to spend a lot of money on them even though they will really add a lot to your reception.
Cake Candle:
The wedding cake is such an integral part of your wedding because it is really the central decorative piece in it. Also, a lot of people will be expecting the cake cutting tradition and you need to give that to them. So, why not incorporate that into your wedding favors? These cute little candles are in the shape of a triple tiered cake that is decorated with strings of pearls. You can get this in either a white or blue color so that you have the opportunity to have it match your chosen color scheme.
Pink Frosted Heart Box:
This pale pink heart shaped box is the perfect for putting in little trinkets or favors that you cannot find anywhere else to put them. You can fill these boxes with little candies and give your guests a delectable treat such as chocolate or after dinner mints. The greatest part is that your guests will feel the atmosphere of romance because the heart will get them in the mind set to think about the love between you and your new spouse.
Online Dating Review
Online dating reviews rate the online dating sites according to some specific criteria. Different online dating reviews set different criteria. But some could use two or several similar criteria in their dating review.
An online dating review often looks for an online dating site that provides a good experience to their client. The following are some of the common criteria used in online dating review in rating online dating sites:
* Easy to use - Online dating review looks for dating sites that makes it easy to find the way around. A well-designed dating site so that client's won't get lost scores big among online dating reviews. * Easy to search- An online dating review often looks for online dating sites that has simple search engine. Look for an online dating option that will help you search the way you want. * Meets your purpose - Online dating review study online dating factors that affect the user. For instance, a dating website with the biggest, coolest search engine or those with security and safety as top priorities. * Fun Factor - online dating review looks for a dating website that lets you be yourself and shows your personality. * Convenience - Online dating review also assess the convenience provided by the online dating site to its clients. For instance, being able to customize the dating website to meet the client's needs alone. Clients are not supposed to have to bend to fit the dating site; the dating site should bend to fit the clients. * Profile Depth - Some websites require you to answer every question in their profile; other sites just require basics, like sex, age and location. Online dating review enables user to look for a website that fits their style. * Price - this is an important criteria of an online dating review. Cost should be simple to calculate and reasonable. Also, it should provide an option as to frequency of payment such as per month or per feature.
Online dating review helps users to choose online dating sites in order to have the best online dating experience. Of course, these will depend on what the user is looking for and in his/her judgment. Reviews on online dating only provide ideas to see which dating website seems custom built for each user and help make the right choice. Online dating reviews are a great help to people who are serious in their decision to pursue online dating and who wants to acquire the best online dating experience.
Wedding of Your Dreams
Our wedding day is probably one of the most important event in our lives. Naturally we want this occasion to be no less than perfect in every respect. People usually tend to think that in order to have a luxurious wedding they need to spend a fortune, whereas many of them would find it hard just to get by with even a modest one.
Statistically speaking, an average wedding today would costs about 30,000$, and the tag keeps rising. For some of us it can be a real life-savings breaker, isn't it?
Well, allow me to refute two very common misconceptions in this regard:
*You CAN save up to 50% AND MORE on ANY wedding- regardless of your budget!
*A cheap wedding doesn't have to LOOK cheap. It can actually look like a million dollar wedding for the same price if you like!
Here are 7 most basic tips that should be useful to anyone who wishes to have a beautiful wedding without 'crushing down' under the heavy expenses:
1) Try NOT to mention the word "wedding" while you go shopping- It is a known fact that most vendors would charge you higher prices for their goods, if they find out that it involves marriage.
2) DON'T buy a 'wedding dress'- Did you know that a wedding dress that retails at 2000$ costs less than 100$ to manufacture? You could actually buy a GORGEOUS 'regular' dress instead, and EASILY turn it into a stunning wedding dress, simply by adding some lacework to it (my wife really enjoyed designing her own wedding dress).
3) Buy your flowers from a wholesaler- By doing so you can easily reduce your wedding flowers costs by 50%. (No need to use artificial flowers or just settle for 'more greens' with the real ones).
4) Rent your OWN bar tender, and buy your OWN alcohol- Most wedding halls probably won't like it, but don't fall prey to their money making strategies. Buying your own alcohol and renting your own bar tender can reduce your expanses from a few thousands to as little as a few hundreds. Plus- choosing and renting your own bar tender will give you the confidence that your dear family and friends are going to be treated exactly the way you want them to.
5) DON'T hire a wedding photographer- A photography student from your local collage could do the job just as good, and be greatly indebted for even half the price you would have paid to a 'professional' wedding photographer. Wedding photographer's high prices are not so much for their better quality pictures as much as for the word "wedding" involved.
6) Your wedding time and date- Having your wedding during daytime and on a weekday, would significantly lower your wedding hall expanse. If you still wish to have your wedding on a Saturday than consider having it during the day- it will be much cheaper and you could also benefit from 'free decorations' that are already set up for a later event. Getting married on an "off" season, like during winter instead of spring will also reduce your costs (you may even find winter to be more romantic than spring).
And last and most important:
7) DON'T try to figure the whole thing by yourself- Planning a wedding is very exciting, but nonetheless demanding. If it's your first marriage you may naturally feel a bit confused and unsure of what needs to be done and how. I advice you to gather some help from anyone that can and is willing to help. Look for information on the internet, and if you feel the need, you may even want to hire a wedding planner. The only problem with those is that they can be quite expensive themselves, and many times won't catch up with your exact personal taste and preferences.
A very good way to easily master your wedding planning, save on costs and end up with the wadding YOU want is simply to get a grip on a good information source that puts things into place for you. Me and my wife for example, managed to save over 8,500$ on our wedding, simply by purchasing a cheap e-z guide that cost us less than 50 bucks. It also helped us manage everything smoothly and quickly, and we ended up having the Las Vegas wedding of our dreams for only 17,000$ (and yes- it included the limo).
To sum it all up- There is an abundance of ways that can help us reduce our wedding costs without compromising our wedding's style. All we need to do is explore, discover and implement. In this regard it is very interesting to note that the average cost of a SECOND wedding today sums up to about 12,000$ only (as apposed to the 30,000$ mentioned above). I am quite convinced that one good reason for it is the knowledge and experience that people gathered from mistakes they may have done on the planning of their first marriage.
Romantic Ideas
The words "hot and bothered" may spark images of twisted sheets and breathlessly reaching out to the one you love for most people. But if you have a chronic illness, "hot" likely refers to a thyroid condition, night sweats, or a heating pad on high. "Bothered" is everything else that happens in bed. Like achy joints that pop when you roll over, a cat that insists on sleeping on your leg, or a spouse who snores through thunder and lightening. Romance may be hard to find in your home!
Nearly 1 in 2 people live with a chronic illness in the U.S. which means that a lot of marriages are disrupted by this uninvited third party of illness, often including mental illness as well. Seventy-five percent of marriages end in divorce. But romantic ideas don't have to be used just on Valentine's Day.
So, how can you add back some of that spark? I've got some romantic ideas that will tell your hubby "I love you" even when you are in chronic pain.
Put forth some effort. No more excuses. "I'm so exhausted, I don't feel that great. My body feels like it was run over by a truck." I've said them all. But guess what? If you have an illness you'll probably always be tired in a way normal people aren't tired. So put on some music and relax. The distraction of romance can make you forget about a great deal of the pain!
Make romance a priority in your house! Rather than cleaning your house all day and mopping those floors, take a nap so that you have some quality time with your spouse that night. Make sure he feels valued and important and not just "one more thing to take care of."
Be enthusiastic during your romantic evening. Even if you're just going out for dinner, don't say, "I'm doing this just for you. I don't really feel like it." (Oh, yeah, that will turn him on.) Smile and talk about pleasant memories or dreams you have. Promise yourself not to talk about your illness for just one night.
Poetry can be over-rated, so don't worry about being eloquent. Instead, just write some of the things you love and appreciate about your spouse in a mini-photo album, or frame your favorite photo on a large matte and write your favorite memories of that event around it.
Make a list of all the things you notice he does that you don't usually thank him for: taking out the garbage, getting you medication in the middle of the night, giving your child a bath, cleaning out the litter box. Type out a sheet of all of this stuff in fun fonts and different colors.
Women, get out of the grandma section of underwear and buy something red, black or anything that doesn't have waist bands wider than an inch. Stop being so self-conscious.
Text message him something daring or outrageously romantic that you would have said when you first fell in love. Back before text-messaging existed.
Design some simple home-made coupons for something he would enjoy but typically wouldn't do because he feel he needs to take care of you or just spend time with you. For example, "Good for 5 guilt-free hours with your friends watching baseball." Don't even make him feel badly for doing things you can't do like taking a hike or going for a roller coaster ride.
Perfect marriages will never exist, but a even a marriage that has an illness can be a huge blessing and not just a state of survival. Romance comes in many ways. I remember loving my husband more than ever the night I couldn't not move because of a rheumatoid arthritis flare. I "slept" sitting on the couch and he spent the night on the floor beside the couch to comfort me every time I screamed from the pain.
Love comes in many forms. One of the books I've bought all the couples in my life is "Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs" by Emerson Eggerichs. Men often feel loved when they are respected, women want to feel loved. Usually we are offering our spouse what we wan't, not what they need. Being aware of all of the little things we do each day that give one another love and respect, add up to romance when you least expect it.
Solving Marriage Problems
Building a Marathon Marriage
Any athlete will tell you that the glamour event of the Olympics Track and Field events is the 100-metre sprint. Just watch these guys at the start line - they walk about like peacocks, showing off their muscles; pulling faces; aware of the cameras; getting ready to explode from the blocks for 10 seconds or so of amazing effort. Nearly everyone can name a great sprinter or two. (Think, Carl Lewis, Linford Christie, Maurice Greene, Michael Johnson, Alan Wells (an Olympic gold medallist and, like me, a Scotsman!) But how many truly great Marathon runners can you name? Not so many I'll bet. Now here's another couple of interesting facts:
1. A 100-metre sprinter is normally utterly useless at any distance over 400 metres and almost certainly could not run a marathon straight off, despite being very fit.
2. Professional athletes will all tell you that the people they really admire are the marathon runners. Yes, these skinny, normally older, athletes are recognised by their peers as being true sportsmen and women.
One of the main reasons that a sprinter will not run a marathon is because they just cannot get their minds around running over 26 miles in one go. The thought terrifies them and defeats them before they even get near to attempting it. When I began running I started off doing just a few kilometers. It seemed inconceivable at that point that I might one day run a marathon. However, I persevered and set my goal to run a 10 kilometre race. The day I ran my first 10k I remember finishing and thinking, "Thank goodness I've reached the finishing line. How on earth does anyone just turn right around and run this over 4 times more?" You see, I had a 10k mentality and my mind just accepted that.
Later on I raised my target to a half marathon and, all too, soon the big day arrived for that. I ran the race and as I crossed the line, guess what I was thinking? Yip, your right. "Thank goodness I've reached the finishing line. How on earth does anyone just turn right around and run this all over again? Impossible!" Now I had only a half marathon mentality.
When I eventually ran my first marathon, I stood on the start line and I was thinking 26.2 miles. Not 10k. Not 13.1 miles. Not even 20 miles. I had made up my mind that I was going to run 26.2 miles and not a single yard less! It was difficult, my whole body wanted to stop... many times. But I had made up my mind and so there was no option but to keep going until I succeeded. I hope your catching my theme here?
Why do so many marriages fail? Quite simply, they have started their married life with a sprinters mentality and when the reality of the commitment hits them they bail out. How often do the fairytale Hollywood marriages end after a few years? Nearly every time! The problem is that they start their marriages with the wrong mental attitude. They are not thinking marathon - they are thinking sprint. They are thinking 'glamour and glory' when what is really required is 'guts and graft'. The marathon runner does not stop running when he/she gets a stitch in their side. They don't give up because of a couple of blisters. Most don't even give up when they pull a muscle; they just run on through the pain. And let me promise you when you're running down the finishing straight the sense of accomplishment is almost overwhelming. Much, much, much more so than a simple sprint... and yet many people give up before experiencing the glory.
In my last marathon I was really suffering around the 20-mile mark when two guys stepped up to the side of the road and held up a banner. It read, "Pain lasts but for a moment; glory for a lifetime!" I loved that message. I could have stopped and kissed them for reminding me of such a truism. I was infused with fresh energy and finished the marathon in my best ever time. And yes, the glory of the finishing stretch was as sweet as ever!
Maybe you're contemplating giving up on your marriage? It has become too difficult. Here's a classic lie which many of us swallow: If you love someone marriage will be easy. What a lie! Every single marriage that has achieved a healthy longevity has recognized that there will be times of pain and times when you want to give up. There might even be times when you think that you don't love the other person. But they don't pack it in! Why? Because they have developed the 'marathon mentality' and a little bit of pain, or even a great deal of pain, never diverts a true marathon runner from his or her goal.
Please don't make the mistake of underestimating the power of your mind to control your destiny. You might have heard the following phrase. It is absolutely, 100%, true and you ignore it at your peril. Here it is: "What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Type that out and stick it on your mirror. It can transform not only your marriage but also your business, your wealth, your achievements and anything else you care to apply it to. Do you believe that your marriage could succeed if only you had some help? Well, that's a great start but recognize this truth ~ if you think your marriage is doomed, it is! If you think it is possible that your marriage could survive then it can.
Start now! Stop defeating yourself before you even cross the start line. Marriage is a marathon. A glorious, roller coaster, painful, joyful, emotional marathon. Don't be a sprinter - develop a marathon mentality and get set for a great race.
Online Wedding Planning
Wedding planning is an essential part of creating a great wedding. Most people who have been part of planning a wedding have said that planning a wedding is such a tiring time. It does not have to be that way, and there are many wedding professionals that are only delighted to help you create a beautiful and memorable day.
Even with a smaller wedding, wedding planning can be a fatiguing time. Most of us don't have the experience of making an event, let alone a wedding day go smoothly. You are in lucky hands, as whatever your budget, you always can access a professional to aid you. Some choose to buy a wedding planner book to accomplish the task of organising the wedding. While others have opted to go to a qualified professional of weddings to organise the whole event, this ultimately allows you to relax as the planner of weddings can take care of all the stress of making the big wedding day happen.
The popularity of the internet has been growing steadily over the last few years, and what better then to make online wedding planning service websites! There are big benefits, considering that you can never leave behind your information, and can access your internet wedding planning info, all accross the world!
::: What Is online wedding planning ::: There are 2 types of online planning websites, and some online planning sites give you the best of both worlds. One way that online wedding planning websites may operate, is that you access a real person to deal with your wedding planning. Another way is to actually be able to plan the wedding online yourself. This makes it very similar to buying a wedding planning book, but without all the paper!
What many online planning sites allow you to do is to also create a blog, which is a nice way to make a kind of diary leading up to the big wedding day celebrations. The benefit is of course that you can access this anywhere, anytime, and will likely be on the net for years into the future. You can also direct relations to the blog and see all the pictures of the big day, and also how things led up to the big day.
Another way that an internet wedding planning service can be of great use, is that an online wedding planning website usually allows you to also make a budget and plan of items needed. This can substitute for a wedding planner book, and have much more information to aid you plan the big wedding day celebrations.
You may also find that some online wedding planning websites have a forum of people who have experience with planning weddings, and can help you make a successful wedding. You may also find that you can find people who offer products essential to make a successful and memorable wedding.
Planning a wedding can be a tiring time, but when you realise that there are so many people who want to do everything they can to make you have a successful wedding day, you can have a much more smooth time leading up to the wedding, and all things come together at the right time to make a great wedding.
Online wedding planners can be a great way to plan a wedding, you could even use the online wedding planning features such as putting in your online blog when certain things are needed to be complete, and have it accessible to the wedding cake maker, the dress maker, etc.