Happy Marriage In Just 21 Words
/Make what is important to him important to you, and he should make what is important to you important to him!
Make what is important to him important to you, and he should make what is important to you important to him!
I have been in the wedding business now for over 20 years and can tell you with absolute certainty what things are MOST important in creating a wonderful memorable wedding! And there are ways to guarantee your special day to be awesome!
1) Plan way ahead so you get what you want when you want it.
Plus this helps alleviate the frustrating last minute cramming stuff.
2) Hire a Wedding Planner. (And make sure it's a good one!)
Most people baulk because of the cost, but truly what you save in heartache, frustration and dealing with details it's worth it! And you can also hire a Wedding Planner at a reduced rate for "Day Of Planning" ... this may fit the budget better. Another good thing about Wedding Planners, especially a good one, is that they know the business and will think of all the things you would have had to read about to think of ... again they are worth the investment!
3) Make sure to hire and pay for a great photographer & videographer!
I am 100% against having a "family member who likes to take pictures" do it! Don't! Trust me on this! Now, if you want to have them be an additional shooter, great! But not the main one. The only exception would be if they are truly an awesome photographer. But even then, let them be family and enjoy the wedding like the rest of the family.
4) Relax and have fun, It's your special day, enjoy it!
Chill. For real! Refuse to let anyone or anything mess up the good vibes. Just don't.
5) Don't let family ruin anything ... do what you want HOW you want!
This goes along with #4, but I am telling you (listen close) This is YOUR wedding, not his parents or your parent's wedding, it's YOURS! Do whatever the hell you want, HOW you want to do it. So many couples fight over this stuff. It's easy, no fight necessary ... do what you want, it's your wedding, period! End of story. No discussion needed. I will add, I don't care who is writing the check. They can either give the money freely with no strings or conditions or they can keep their money and regret not blessing you.
6) Don't leave for Honeymoon the very next morning.
I have heard many people regret the 5:00 am flight on the next day! I am also someone who regrets this decision along with my wife, Jana. We wished we had given ourselves a day to just recoup before flying off to Hawaii. Live and learn.
7) Hire the right *Officiant!
Obviously I am going to be passionate about this one. I mean let's be honest here, the Officiant is the most important person in the room (outside the Bride and Groom) without them you can't get married. You can get married without a cake, a dress, flowers, music, etc. but you can't get married without an Officiant. But seriously I have heard horror stories of when people have had their "cousin" or "friend" who acquired his/her license online for $19.99. This is one of the biggest days and moments of your life HIRE a professional. And not only a "professional" but someone who is legit and fits your personality. Like a real Pastor or a real Judge!
*Always INTERVIEW him/her before you hire them! Unless you have already seen them in action and know they are good or if they come highly recommended by someone you trust, then go for it.
Bottom line: If you want the best, hire the best!
o Talk About Money
1. Am I a spender or saver – and what's my partner? Are we comfortable spending money on the same things (such as organic food), or do we argue about money on dates or vacations? Another important premarital question about money: Will we have joint or separate accounts, and who will pay the bills?
2. Are we in debt? What are our plans for getting out of debt, and do we have retirement goals? Have we taken a money management course for couples? Who's responsible for our financial investments?
o Talk About Physical Intimacy
3. Have we discussed our sexual health? Do either of you have a STD, and are you taking measures to prevent it from spreading? Can you comfortably discuss your intimate body parts and functions? Here's a premarital question about body image: Does your weight or appearance affect your ability to be intimate – and can you be honest about that?
4. What do we know about our preferences for intimacy? Have you talked about the preferred time of day for intimacy, number of times per week (or day), place, lights on or off, length of contact, foreplay, or how adventurous you want to be?
o Talk About Household Chores
5. Who cleans the bathroom, does the laundry, vacuums, and maintains the lawn/garden? Who cooks the meals and does the dishes? A good premarital question that's not often discussed: Who buys the groceries and maintains the car? What will your division of labor look like, especially if you have kids?
6. What are our pet peeves? Does it bother you if the toilet paper is on "upside down" or are you usually completely out altogether? Do you leave the cap off your toothbrush, the toilet seat up, or the fridge door open? A practical premarital question: Can you handle another person – even one you love – in "your space"?
o Talk About Children
7. Have we, individually and as a couple, decided whether we want children? If so, have we considered how kids will affect our careers, lifestyle, recreation, privacy, social interests, money, and plans for the future? Figure this out before the wedding day.
8. What about infertility, unplanned pregnancies, or fostering or adopting? Premarital discussion that build a healthy marriage need to include honest discussions about having children.
o Discuss Your Careers
9. Are we both professionally established? Should we both work full-time? Have we discussed whether one of us wants additional training, education, or experience? A typical premarital question: Can we afford changes in income, and does it mesh with our life goals as a married couple?
10. How do we deal with job stress? Are we grumpy or emotionally unavailable because we bring our work home – or work from home? Is our health affected by job stress? A practical premarital question is: Do we carry pagers or cell phones; if we have shift work does that impact our personal lives?
o Talk About Religion
11. Are we both committed to a relationship with Christ? How important is Faith, Religion, Church, God, Spirituality? Will we attend church? What denomination? Will we give financially (tithe)? How involved will we be?
12. Will you be okay to have a spouse who is uninterested in faith? Would you go to church alone?
It is said that we are the sum total of our thoughts. I believe this to be true as it relates to our relationships. If you think good of your partner, good follows, if you think bad of your partner bad follows. Now this isn't magical ... it's a lifestyle.
Think for just a second, what are your dominate thoughts about your partner? Are they good or bad? How you think about your partner often translates into how you feel about them and how you seem them.
My challenge: Think about the good things. The things you like, love about your partner, not just the things you don't like.
Wow, what a huge turn out for Mercy Church's FIRST service in Olathe! It was overwhelming to see so many people turn out, some familiar faces, as well as some new faces! Imagine that, "first time guests" coming to church in a garage, crazy cool!
Big thank you to everyone who helped make this happen! Absolutely impossible to have done it alone ... you know who you are! The Elders, Management Team, Staff, Team Leaders, all Volunteers and the entire community at Mercy Church are just amazing! Thank you for believing in me and Jana and the vision of Mercy Church
to lead people to a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ, without being weird about it!
BIG NEWS:
This week, Sunday, June 14 is our LAST WEEK in my garage ... we have a summer location that is going to be sweet - with A/C! We'll start meeting in NEW summer space Sunday, June 21 (Father's Day) and we'll be celebrating with a BIG HOT PANCAKE BREAKFAST (including Sausage, Eggs, Potatoes, Fruit Salad, Biscuits and Gravy and juice! Everyone is invited out!
For purposes of food preparations PLEASE shoot me an
to let me know you are coming so I can tell the cooks how much food to prepare! Thank you!
(Photo taken by Professional Photographer and Mercy Church member: Whitney Box)
I want to accomplish one thing in my life, besides having a great head of hair, and that’s to help people have healthier happier relationships!