Category: Sex Romance Relationships

An excerpt.
by Drs. Michelle & Patrick Gannon, Marriage Prep 101
Plan the Planning Process First.This is the most important step in our approach to wedding planning. Unfortunately, this is also the step that most couples forget. Remember this: planning a wedding takes time and effort and, like any challenge, the way you meet the challenge requires planning too. Do this step first before you are drowning in the details.

Whether you’re planning a retreat to a quaint B&B or a luxurious resort, here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you prepare.

WANTED: A special place for a romantic escape. Scenic, natural surroundings required. Must be lavished with sensual creature comforts. Obliging yet unobtrusive service preferred. Does this imaginary classified ad sound like something you might have written? If so, we’re answering your cry for help with a dozen of the best places in California for a romantic weekend—choice spots bound to inspire relaxation and heartfelt moments. (No need to thank us—an emailed photo of your happy, rejuvenated selves will do!)

Let’s talk about sex. As a culture we’re obsessed with it. Just flip through any magazine at your local bookstore or checkout stand. You’ll see: Are you hot enough? Is your penis big enough? Hard enough? Are your breasts perky or do they point downwards towards Mexico? And then they offer all these groundbreaking statistics like “81% of couples use some kind of food item as part of their lovemaking.”

Somebody you consider dear has passed; how do you honor them on your wedding day without bringing everyone’s mood down a few notches?

For a love note ceremony, the bride and groom both write a good old fashioned love letter to each other on their wedding day, expressing in detail how they feel about their relationship. They’re not allowed to see the other’s letters or show them to anyone else. The letters are then sealed and given to the officiant at the ceremony, who locks them in a box with a bottle of good wine, creating a time capsule and emergency wedding kit in one. If the bride and groom ever feel that the marriage is in jeopardy, they’ll open the box, drink the wine, and read the letters together.

I am the Mean Old Stepmommy to a wonderful daughter named Cindi. She will celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary this month and personally I am in awe of how two 19-year-old kids created a marriage that I truly admire.

Suzie and Bob’s wedding day just happened to coincide with one of the worst floods in Orange, California’s history. Only 30 of their 130 guests could even get to the church, and the caterer, photographer, and DJ were no shows. Nevertheless, the bride and groom decided to go on with the ceremony.

I thought this article from Modern Mom, “23 Ways to Fight Fair with Your Husband” by Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D., was one of the most useful on the topic I have ever read. I’ve probably violated every one of these rules at one time or another, and it is with that tarnished history that I say these are good fighting rules to live by.

I shopped at Victoria’s Secret when I got married. Even in those olden days (13 years ago…or was it 14? Have to check my notes…), the trip to VS was part of the pre-wedding ritual. In real Victorian times, a woman’s trousseau was given to her by female relatives and included lots of white cotton underthings that covered her from neck to ankle.

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you know that we like to discuss wedding issues by example: what we like, what’s worked for us, and once in a while, what not to do for your wedding (ever, ever again). We do it because all women have a story to tell, and we believe we learn as much from our own experiences as we do from the advice of our friends, women who’ve been there before. It’s only natural to want to add our own valuable voices to the mix. Fortunately, the highly opinionated women of Here Comes The Guide recently discovered a divine online forum with that goal in mind: Divine Caroline, that is.

I lost my wedding ring the other day. It was only for a short time and everything is fine now, but while it was gone, I learned a few things about myself.