Marriage can always be a beautiful thing if you want it. Everything depends on the attitude you are showing your partner. As a human, we all have wants and needs. And sometimes it will be our partner who can give it. Here are some marriage tips for couples.

First; show him/her you love her by appreciating everything he/she is doing. Always say thank you in every favor he/she is doing for you.

Second; ask him/her for a date. Go to a cozy place where you can talk. You can also ask him/her to go to a movie house. Remember not to bring anyone with you; it’s your moment as couples.

Third; always give your wife her favorite flowers. Always remember that a girl loves it when his man gives her a flower, it’s one way of showing you love her because you know what she likes.

Fourth; never go to bed without fixing your problem. Problems are part of our life so we should not let problem ruin your marriage, instead lets view it as a challenge and one way to strengthen your marriage.

Fifth; never talk to your husband/wife when you are mad. Because you might tell hurtful words that will worsen the problem. You need to think a thousand times before you speak. Will it hurt him/her? Will it affect other people? Will it fix the problem? Remember words can always break a heart.

Sixth; treat your spouse as your best friend. Share everything, be open-minded. A friend always listens; there is always a reason for everything. Never judge him/her until you hear his/her explanation. Give him/her a chance to talk, and to change especially if he/she is really willing to.

Seventh; never yell at each other in public. It is another way of showing that you respect him/her. Learn to settle agreements in calmer and much peaceful way.

Last; kiss everyday. Body contact is very important for a couple. Kissing is one way of showing your love for each other. It’s one of the hottest a couple can do. Those are simple marriage tips for couples.

About the Author

Having separate interests is also a big plus. While is wonderful to spend a lot of time together, it’s the quality that counts, not the quantity. True, there are many couples who enjoy being together day and night – in fact, my own marriage is much like that. We love to be and do many things together, however we also have our own separate interests as well. Some time apart is good for the majority of couples. It gives you new and fresh outlooks on your lives, not to mention giving you both something to talk about that’s apart from your daily lives and interests.

Of course, it goes without saying that communication is probably at the top of the list. Begin able to discuss dreams, goals and what’s in your heart if very important, as well as having someone who will listen closely to what you say and having some empathy as to how your feel. That’s not to say that your partner wants to hear constant complaints about one thing or another. Yes, we all need "a shoulder to cry on" occasionally, just don’t make a habit of it.

Intimacy is also a very important part of keeping a marriage alive and happy. And intimacy doesn’t mean just sex. Being close, holding hands, relaxing in each other’s arms, speaking of your hopes and dreams of the future, helps to build a close relationship and trust of your partner.

And don’t think sex has to become boring. Spice it up by greeting your mate wearing just a raincoat, or kidnap your partner and take them to a hotel overnight. Plan dates and dress sexy…find ways to add excitement to your love life. And remember, sex doesn’t just start in the bedroom. Gazing at your lover across a crowded room with a "come hither" look or whispering in his or her ear of what you’d like to do later can go a long way in keeping the fire roaring in the bedroom.

About the Author

Rose Smith is the owner of Wedding Themes and More, a website designed to help you discover your perfect wedding theme. Find more great ideas, resources and articles on her Bride & Groom Tips page.

• Cook her a romantic dinner for two. Tie the engagement ring, using ribbon, to the stem of a glass of champagne or sparkling cider.
• Take her out for dinner at your favorite restaurant and arrange with the waiter to display the ring in a box as one of the choices on the dessert tray, or write "Will you marry me?" in chocolate sauce on the rim of her dessert plate. Remember to make your reservations early in the month because restaurants are very busy on this night and you will need the staff to help with your special arrangements.
• Rent a limousine. Propose to her in the limo on the way to or from your special evening. Be sure to bring champagne or sparkling cider to celebrate.
• Rent your favorite romantic movie. Make it special with homemade popcorn and her favorite movie treat. Tell her you want your own happy ending by proposing as the credits roll at the end.
• Give her three roses: Tell her one represents the past, one represents the present and the last one (with the ring tied to it) represents the future. It is estimated that 110 million roses will be sold for Valentine’s Day so be sure to order your roses early for the prettiest petals.
• Turn out all the lights in your apartment or home. Make a trail with candlelight leading her to your engagement ring.
• Send her on a treasure hunt. Provide clues all over town to your favorite spots or just around the house. The last hint should lead her to you, with the diamond engagement ring in hand.
• Create a special book filled with pictures of the two of you. On the last page include a photo of a bride and groom and paste pictures of your faces on the bride and groom with "Will You Marry Me?" written at the bottom.
• Buy 13 days worth of small gifts and wrap them individually. Number each package 1 though 13 and insert a note with each gift. The notes could be 13 reasons why you love her. Tell your sweetheart to start opening the packages on February 1 and on Valentines Day give her gift number 14 in person. Write "Will You Marry Me?" on the last note.

In order to make your Valentine’s Day proposal perfect present your sweetheart with a beautiful diamond engagement ring. And remember, no matter how you say it, your marriage proposal is going to be a special and memorable moment in your relationship.

About the Author

Jill Renee is the president of Danforth Diamond, an online jewelry store specializing in quality engagement rings—on the Web at http://www.danforthdiamond.com. With 50 years in the jewelry business, the Danforth family developed their site as a resource to help you find the perfect engagement ring.

Being stuck in a sexless marriage can have you feeling a wide range of feelings from loneliness, listlessness, confusion, unconfident, etc. These feelings come about for a variety of reasons and they can be overcome if you just figure out why you’re in a sexless marriage. You need to get to the root of the problem and uncover the real reasons that you and your spouse are no longer sexually active assuming of course, you once were!

To get to the heart of the causes for a sexless marriage will take some time. On the surface, you may be thinking that the cause of your sexless marriage may include one or more of the following scenarios:

Sexless Marriage: "We both work too much!":

You both work extremely hard and there just never seems to be enough time to get together, your schedules are skewed. This is true a lot nowadays with the ‘new’ economy, lots of couples are married but just live together like roommates if both parties have ‘time-consuming’ careers. If not managed properly, it is unfortunate but common for people in this type of lifestyle to end up in a sexless marriage.

Sexless Marriage: "You work, I stay home with the kid(s)!":

One of you works very hard with your career and one of you stays home to raise the children (child), which is equally as hard as any career! This situation can lead to a sexless marriage in many cases because of the seemingly disparate priority base of each party. The spouse with the career may need to work after hours, travel, or attend "post work" functions and the spouse who stays home raising the children (child) may not have any other outlet for relaxation away from the home front. This situation can easily lead to a sexless marriage because there may be underlying feelings from both sides that contribute to an already tough situation based on personal and work related schedules.

The spouse with the career may say at times, "Why do you think I work so hard? I do it for you, the kids, our family, etc.". The spouse who stays home with the children (child) may say at times, "You have another release, you have social interaction daily with the outside world. I feel stuck here sometimes, I need to get out and have time for myself.". If the spouse that stays home feels like the spouse with the career enjoys being out and working more than being home, that calls for a whole different and escalated level of concern! Chances are the sexless marriage was bound to be that way before the current situation even arose.

Sexless Marriage: "I don’t know why…there’s just no spark left, you don’t pay enough attention to me and our sex life and I guess I don’t either!":

This is a common sexless marriage situation and it can be caused by a variety of things including emotional scars, bad experiences, boredom, laziness, etc. In this situation, there is deep cause for concern from both parties because both parties aren’t happy sexually but don’t really know why it ended up this way. Both parties have just "let things go" and didn’t place a high enough priority on their sex life with their spouse, which in and of itself is very concerning.

Why would either or both parties let things get this way when love making is so important?

Sometimes there’s a feeling of being taken for granted that can occur in this type of sexless marriage, and both parties should realize that sex is a basic human need and should take priority over other things at the right time. It takes work to get out of this type of sexless marriage, you need to sit down and figure out why your marital love life has dwindled. If you both really want to rekindle things, you can do so, but you both need to take equal responsibility for correcting the problem.

Whatever type of sexless marriage you are in (there’s certainly more types than listed here), remember that it is not unrecoverable. If you’re to the point of thinking about getting a divorce because of your sexless marriage, take the time to sit down and figure out how it got to be the way it is now.

If you’ve lost interest in your spouse from a sexual point of view, you need to define exactly why that occurred. If you don’t know right off hand, you need to think back to a time when you did ‘have the spark’ and recall what you both were doing, feeling, thinking, etc. From that point, identify what has changed, why it has changed, and what you can do about it. When you get that portion figured out, you may well on your way to taking the first step of recovering from your sexless marriage. Remember, if you really want to rekindle your relationship, you can.

About the Author

© 2004 Karl Augustine, Author of: "A Practical Guide To Deciding Whether Or Not To Get A Divorce" http://www.deciding-on-divorce.com

The inability of the marriage laws to meet the needs of many couples makes the concept of a marital agreement quite positive, despite the bad publicity premarital agreements have reached. The freedom to structure a relationship should not be determined by laws that do not reflect the changing realities of family life in American today.

There is no firm tradition of marital contracts in our country because of the inherent resistance of comparing love to a business deal. Many civilized societies through the ages, however, have documented marital agreements with written documents.

Celebrities and the media have made couples aware of the concept of a contract executed between a married couple, whether terming it a premarital, prenuptial, antenuptial or postmarital agreement. The rich have known about them for years, but middle-class America, alarmed about the rising divorce rate, is anxious to know more.

Who Needs Them?

Anyone about to enter a marriage who is concerned about the inadequacies of the laws in the face of today’s social realities;

Anyone who is remarrying;

Anyone concerned about protecting the assets of children from a prior marriage;

Anyone who has a financially dependent parent;

Business owners, particularly of professional practices and particularly those with business partners, because a spouse effectively becomes a silent partner in the business;

Anyone with significant separate property in states where a spouse is entitled to a share of income from separate property.

Anyone whose intended spouse has significant premarital responsibilities, such as alimony, child support, or tax obligations.

Anyone cautious enough to prefer a written record of the ownership of assets to avoid confusion in the future from creditors or other family members.

It’s not romantic; it’s practical. And limiting a spouse’s take upon divorce is far from the only purpose, despite the perception gleaned from the popular press. Doesn’t it make sense to make decisions under the best of circumstances instead of during the emotional upheaval of a troubled relationship?

As with most things, there’s good news and bad news about private marital contracts. The openness needed for such an agreement is good for a relationship; the implication of a lack of trust is bad. A marital contract can avoid expensive and emotionally debilitating divorce trials, but it’s expensive to enforce any contract in court. Such an agreement will reduce to writing the agreement for division of property upon divorce, although it can prevent a spouse from obtaining marital rights upon divorce.

The love and the law newsletter is written by Johnette Duff, Attorney at Law*

Copyright 2003 by Johnette Duff
Ms. Duff is licensed in the State of Texas
www.loveandthelaw.com

About the Author

Johnette Duff is a matrimonial attorney licensed in the state of Texas. She is also the author of three books on love and the law; The Spousal Equivalent Handbook, The Marriage Handbook and Love After 50. Ms. Duff has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, in The Wall Street Journal, Self, New Woman, Smart Money and Modern Maturity and has been a guest on hundreds of radio talk shows.
info@loveandthelaw.com

The first step in getting over a marriage problem is to remember that you aren’t alone, lots of couples have marriage problems that stem from all kinds of different types of behavior.

Here’s a partial list of marriage problems that you may or may not be experiencing:

Marriage problem #1: Lack of sexual intimacy – a serious issue that you must work through in my opinion if your going to work it out.

Marriage problem #2: Exploding during an argument, getting too emotional and letting your temper get the best of you – you need to learn to work together and you can’t do that if one of you is getting too heated.

Marriage problem #3: Being selfish – eventually this will catch up to you. You should always think of your partner when you think of yourself.

Marriage problem #4: Being dishonest – another serious issue. If you cannot be 100% honest and open with your mate, you’re marriage is most likely doomed or at the very least unhappy.

Marriage problem #5: Teasing too much – generally the husband does this but it could go either way. If there’s a little bit of truth to the teasing or there’s a greater marriage problem that incites the teasing, you could be in for a long road to recovery together. Chances are that you’ll have a lot more work to do to correct this marriage problem.

Marriage problem #6: Not respecting your spouse – this marriage problem can result in all types of other problems. If you are experiencing this you must get to the root of this and figure out why the disrespect is present. If you aren’t getting the every day respect that you deserve, make it a priority to not let this go on another day.

Marriage problem #7: Not being attentive to your spouse or not listening to your spouse – men are usually guilty of this marriage problem but is isn’t exclusive to the weaker gender by any means. Really listening doesn’t mean obeying, it means understanding what’s important to your spouse and acting accordingly.

Obviously there are many other things that could be labeled a "marriage problem", you have to decide what those are as they pertain to your situation.

So, how do you figure out if a marriage problem or problems are severe enough to warrant a divorce?

You should first examine what your marriage problem actually is and decide if it is exclusively a problem for you or if it is something that you both consider to be a marriage problem. If you are the only one who sees the said action as a marriage problem, you have to decide whether or not that specific marriage problem is being caused by you or whether it is truly a problem brought on by your spouse. If the marriage problem is unique to you, seek some help from a counselor and do yourself the courtesy of trying to correct the problem before you believe that you need to run right out and get a divorce. You’ll be a better person for it because you will have fixed something within yourself.

However, if you truly believe that the marriage problem is caused and prolonged by your spouse, sit down with yourself first and examine what you believe to be the root cause of the behavior that creates the marriage problem. Make sure that you are being logical when you identify the behavior that you feel is causing the marriage problem and try to recall if the traits or behavior that you’ve identified in your spouse are ‘fixable’ in your mind…assuming of course, that your spouse will agree that you are right.

Next, approach your spouse with the information that you’ve reflected on and try to talk through the cause of the marriage problem. Hopefully your spouse will be open to constructive discussion regarding the marriage problem so you can work through it together. If you cannot do work on the marriage problem together, seek the help of a mediator or marriage counselor so you can actually talk out the marriage problem logically. If you cannot work it out after counseling, deep self-reflection and discussions, you should be able to decide whether or not the marriage problem warrants a divorce or not.

Of course, no one can decide this but you.

About the Author

Karl Augustine Author, "A Practical Guide To Deciding Whether Or Not To Get A Divorce". *A resource recommended by marriage counselors to their clients.
http://www.deciding-on-divorce.com/marriage-problem.htm

1. It starts with you

The happier you are with yourself and your life, the more attractive you are to your partner. Another way to look at this is: if you were someone else, would you marry you? Start today to work on being the kind of person you would want to know, date, and marry. If you’re not that kind of person, how can you expect your spouse to stay attracted or stay passionate?

2. There’s you, there’s him/her, and then there’s we.

You don’t have to give up your identity or be known as your spouse’s partner.

It also doesn’t work when two people each do their own thing without regard to their partner’s wishes and feelings. Marriage is, and should be, more than cohabitation. As the marriage vows state, "two shall be as one". That "one" is neither you nor him. The "one" is a third entity: the relationship, the marriage, the "we".

The "we" is what you share, what you have in common, the nurturing that cannot be provided on your own. Think companionship, intimacy, and sharing.

3. Leave behind your emotional baggage

Are you really over your previous relationship? If not, you can’t fully commit to your spouse. Likewise, if you are still Daddy’s little girl or Mommy’s boy, you are not in control of your own life. Therefore, you cannot fully enter into an adult relationship of mutual sharing and support. You can’t be accountable to your spouse if you have to keep pleasing Mommy or Daddy.

4. Your marriage comes first

Marriage is the strongest bond between two people. Parents are here and one day they are gone. Children grow into adults and leave to start their own lives. Your spouse is only person who is meant to stay with you the rest of your time on this planet.

Women who say their children come first are usually unable to let their children grow up and become independent adults. Instead of a mature adult-adult relationship, the roles are forever adult-child. So the children never emotionally leave home and are forever dependent on the parent.

These women are always surprised when their mates get tired of being number two, and decide to leave for someone else who WILL put them first.

5. Your marriage is your top priority.

You didn’t get married to commute two hours a day, work at the office 60 hours a week, and pay on a mortgage for 30 years. You probably got married to share your life, your hopes, your dreams-not your bills-with that special someone. During life’s ups and especially during life’s downs, keep in mind why you married in the first place. Not jobs, nor cars, nor your favorite sports team. At one time, your partner was the most important thing in this world to you. Act like it today and every day.

6. Don’t compare

This holds true in your life as well as in your marriage. There will always be a couple that seems happier, wealthier, sexier, and more perfect than you two are. So what? Their happiness doesn’t increase or diminish your happiness. Neither does their money, their jobs, their house, or their glamour. All that matters is whether you and your spouse have created a relationship that works for you.

7. Don’t wonder "what if?"

Wondering what it would be like to be with another person-for a night or for a lifetime-is self-delusion and is really unfair to your spouse. You see other people socially when they are at their best. You see your spouse when he/she is at his best, her average, and sometimes at her worst. If you could swap mates, guess what? You’d see that person at his/her worst, and you probably wouldn’t like what you see.

8. Realize that love can grow.

As much as you were in love when you got married, your love and commitment to each other can grow over the years. Marriage can get better, not worse, with time. The longer you’ve been married, the more history you have together.The triumphs and disappointments, the successes and the failures, all are part of sharing a life together. And that history is unique to you. No one else has that or can duplicate it. This is why a man who leaves his middle aged wife for a younger woman eventually wants to come back. With his wife he has a history-a shared past. With the new woman there is only the present.

9. Commitment means no matter what.

It’s as simple as making the decision to be totally committed to your spouse and to the relationship. No matter what happens financially, or health wise, or otherwise. No matter what. Once the two of you have decided to stay "no matter what", there is no question of stay or go, yes or no. Now the emphasis is on problem solving. Write this down: all couples have problems. Happy couples learn to deal with their problems. Unhappy couples eventually just run away.

10. Believe that a happy marriage is not only possible, it’s yours for the making.

It won’t happen by itself. It takes intention, commitment, and practice. But the couples who have happy, blissful, and satisfying marriages are proof that it is possible. Just choose to be happy, and choose to be happily married.

About the Author

Alan Stafford, Certified Coach. "Helping Singles and Couples Find Love that Lasts a Lifetime". Subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.relationshipsuccessexperts.com for relationship tips and advice.