Many people have planned out their dream wedding since they were young, hoping for a fancy wedding dress, a top-notch DJ, and a beautiful sprawling vineyard as their location. It looks like an expensive wedding might not be so great for the marriage, at least according to science. Research from Emory University found that having an inexpensive wedding (and engagement ring, for that matter) leads to a higher chance of a long-lasting marriage. Many couples already face financial hardship, and financial strain is notoriously hard on a relationship. A costly marriage only adds to this strain. According to the study, the average wedding today costs around $30,000 (dang!). But couples who spend…

Every couple argues. Every couple has dry spells. And every couple hits a rough patch sooner or later. If you’re in the middle of one right now, you might be wondering, “Is my marriage going to make it?” While there’s no guarantee that any relationship will work, of course, here are 9 signs couples therapists say signal to them that a relationship is going to survive. 1. You have fun together. “The skills couples need to keep intimacy alive in a long-term relationship aren’t obvious because people don’t talk about them,” says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, psychotherapist and author of Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting about the Three Things That Can Ruin…

Top 5 Regrets From the Dying: An Inspirational Article For Us All My husband, Keith, received an email from a colleague several years ago containing an article.  He immediately sent it to me and suggested I give it a read because it touched his soul. From the moment I began reading the words of Australian author and songwriter, Bronnie Ware, I knew I wanted to share them with you. I reached out to Bronnie with hope in my heart and she graciously agreed to allow me to post this article originally written on her site which was the basis for her best-selling book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying:…