Dating for the Wrong Reasons: Misery Loves Company
This is a guest post from E. Umana from Christian Marriage Works. I hope you enjoy his interesting take on a current trend toward dating to avoid loneliness rather than to find a marriage partner.
We’re in the midst of a raging recession with global reach, and many economists are speculating about the possibility of a “double dip” recession. People have lost jobs, homes, cars, and other property, and marriages are strained under the weight of mounting debts and other economic problems.
But there is one “industry” that is defying the economic gloom and doom. According to a report from Fox News, some online matchmaking services are reporting double-digit increases in the number of new members. They describe the pace at which people are trying to find a new partner as being frenzied.
It seems that, despite the sometimes high monthly cost, people want to reach out to one another and be together. In other words, they don’t want to go through this economic downturn alone.
Is Marrying Young a Thing of the Past?
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Alexis Bonari. I hope you enjoy these insights on young marriage while I spend a few days with my family on a bit of paternity leave. By the way, when we got married, I was 21 and Bethany was 20…and it worked out pretty well for us. 
From a purely statistical standpoint, marriage before the age of 25 results in an over 50% probability that the marriage will end in divorce court. Despite the dismal statistics, many young couples still defy the odds and attempt a young marriage.
Speaking as a 25-year-old who met my same-age husband at the age of 19, and married at the age of 20, I can attest to both the joys and pitfalls of early marriage.
Before considering marriage, it would be wise to individually consider the following five questions. This will help you enter into marriage with your eyes open.
Five Questions to Consider Before Marrying Young
1. Can you really say you’ve dated enough/traveled enough/lived alone enough/experienced enough to want to commit to a single person for the rest of your life?
How to Find the Perfect Engagement Ring
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post that I wish would have been available about 10 years ago. Pammy Rosen offers some great insights into the process of selecting the right engagement ring.
An engagement ring is one of the most important purchases in your lifetime, especially for the bride. Most men could care less if their own ring came from a Crackerjack box, but when buying a ring for their bride-to-be, a little education about the types of rings that are available and how they might effect the cost can be a great help.
Here’s how to pick out a ring that will have your bride-to-be blushing while getting your money’s worth.
The Four C’s
There are four key terms to keep in mind when shopping for the perfect engagement ring. Just think of them as the 4 C’s of wedding ring shopping:
1. Clarity
2. Carat
3. Color
4. Cut
There are ways to save money and still get the ring you desire by simply keeping these terms in mind.
On Wearing A Ring
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from one of my favorite online writers, Ali Hale. And no, the words “jewellry” and “realised” are not misspelled. Ali is in England, and apparently this is how these words are spelled in “real” English.
I’m not really a jewellery person. I’m never sure what to buy, and I always convince myself I don’t need it.
My fiancé, though, has great taste in jewellery. He’s given me various pieces over the five years since we met. My favourites are a beautiful necklace with delicate butterflies on it, which was a 21st birthday gift… and my engagement ring.
We got engaged last November. For the first month or two, it felt weird to wear a ring. I hardly ever put on jewellery unless I’m going out in the evenings, and I’ve never had any rings. Every so often – perhaps putting on gloves, or preparing to do the dishes – I’d notice the ring.
And every time, I’d smile. Whenever I was feeling down or upset or gloomy about things, just looking at that ring was a pick-me-up.
First Comes Love, Then Marriage, Then the Mother In Law!
Editor’s Note: This is a fantastic guest post from Rachel Smith. As someone who happens to have a wonderful mother-in-law, I’m a strong supporter of the Mother in Law of the Month campaign mentioned below and think we need more love for the MILs!
Ah, to be newlywed. It’s fun and exciting, and even if the two of you have known each other for years, there seems to be a certain freshness in your relationship. Because now it’s official. Now it’s just the two of you, from here to eternity.
Right?
Enter: your new mother-in-law.
If you just cringed, you are definitely not alone. It’s the Pavlovian Response felt the world over: mother-in-law equals absolutely no fun.
Think about it: characters like Jane Fonda’s in Monster in Law and Endora from Bewitched exploit the image of MiLs as overbearing saboteurs who will do anything to make you run crying back to where you belong (the arms of your own mommy).
And it goes further. When you type “mother in law” into Amazon’s book search, how many of the first 12 books are self-help guides to avoid strangling your mother-in-law? 11.
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I'm Dustin, the guy behind Engaged Marriage. I'm living and loving the crazy life of a young husband and Dad.
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