A beautifully lettered scroll is a welcome invitation to any party. There are numerous computer fonts that mimic the art of calligraphy. Read the rest of this entry »

You don’t need to have a precise guest list at this point but some idea of general numbers will come in very handy. Do you both have a huge extended family, a vast network of friends and numerous work colleagues that you just can’t get married without? Read the rest of this entry »

There’s not nearly so much pressure on you as there is on your best man so try to relax. Just imagining how he must feel leading up to the most anticipated speech of the night should be enough to calm your nerves. There are only a few things that are really expected from the groom’s speech and they are quite easily achievable, no matter how bad a public speaker you are. Read the rest of this entry »

Obviously not all grooms are the same and it’s important to establish which category you fall into regarding your impending nuptials and what kind of role you want to play in the whole proceedings. Read the rest of this entry »

As with other principles of surrender, I wasn’t perfect when it came to shutting down my mind-reading habit. Initially, I just rechanneled it. I had a habit of “interpreting” my husband for other people. He would say something, and I would pipe up and tell them what he meant. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes when a woman has strong feelings, she talks to discover what her feelings are. If her partner is a good listener and practices ducking and dodging and not interrupting, she can get it all out. By noticing when she is feeling upset, tired, or overwhelmed and then initiating a conversation by asking questions, it can help her a lot. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are following your heart religiously, there is no reason to call him. He should be calling you, and calling you again and again until he pins you down for a date.

To call men is to pursue them, which is totally against your heart. They will immediately know that you like them and possibly lose interest! Another reason not to call men is so you don’t catch them in the middle of something—watching a football game, paying bills, entertaining a friend, or even sleeping— when they may not be in the mood to talk to you. Why take a chance? Read the rest of this entry »

A lover who is more than ready for the strike is Andrew Marvell. One of the most famous propositions of all time is the poetical reproach he addressed To His Coy Mistress some time in the swinging seventeenth century. The time and effort he’s invested in the seduction has led him to feel he’s overdue for his reward. Why doesn’t she come through?

This witty poem has had a comical history. It always appears in anthologies under ‘Love Poems‘, whereas in reality it’s a sparkling piece of aggro, obviously written in a fit of teeth-grinding frustration. Read the rest of this entry »

But often when a man makes an ill-considered plunge into wedlock, it is more a question of his falling than being pushed. Such is the case of H. G. Wells’s hero in The History of Mr Polly. Vague feelings of dissatisfaction with his life, ambitions to open a shop, a sunny afternoon in the park and the presence of a girl he has been seeing for some time, all come together in one fatal impulse:

One did ought to be happy in a shop,’ said Miriam, with a note of unusual softness in her voice . . .‘I could be happy in a shop,’ he said.His sense of effect had made him pause. Read the rest of this entry »

The truly modern woman, however, does not just timidly bleat ‘marry me’, with a great big question mark. As imagined by the irreplaceable Joe Orton in his black comedy, Loot, she moves swiftly in on the kill, then goes for the jugular with the grace of a panther.

Fay has been the resident nurse during the last illness of

McLeavy’s wife:

FAY: You’ve been a widower for three days. Have you considered a second marriage yet?

MCLEAVY: A second wife would be a physical impossibility. Read the rest of this entry »