It’s FRIDAY, and not just that, but the Friday before a 3-day weekend!! Woo-hoo! I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial weekend! Today is a little different… thanks to my wonderful wedding photographer, Rich Lander with CHARD Photo, my engagement ring along with my husband’s wedding ring was featured With This Ring yesterday. Thanks Rich!

It’s hard to read, but the bottom caption reads; “The funny part about this wedding was that the bridesmaids actually forgot the groom’s ring back at the house where they were getting ready! So when they realized this during the actual ceremony, the bride gave him her wedding band and she kept on her engagement ring. We all had a great laugh!”

~ Rich Lander, Photographer

Yes, my bridesmaids did forgot Chris’ wedding ring, however, it was very funny and we now have a great story to tell! He got his ring in the end…

A few other ring shots by Rich…

I love re-visiting such a special day! Hope you enjoyed and have a great holiday weekend!

Love,

Love,

There has to be something more than attraction or fascination that keeps a couple together. Couples who share the same values have a bond that goes beyond physical attraction. It is a very important foundation for their relationship.

If you are from a family with strong ethnic or cultural heritage, then you need to find a man who shares that background. Otherwise, your relationship will be strained each time his family values and yours collide.

You may be conservative and he is liberal – which makes for lively conversations. But if your political beliefs are radically different, this is going to impact how well your friends mix and how you live out your beliefs.

Differences of opinion can be healthy – and even exciting. But differences that tear at the essence of the beliefs about who you are and your place in the universe become divisive and quarrelsome in any relationship.

Perhaps the best way to find a mate who shares your most treasured values is to go where kindred spirits can be found. Maybe that is at a certain church or synagogue that represents your spiritual beliefs.

If you are politically inclined, join that party’s local group and work on campaigns. If you are passionate about health causes or helping others less fortunate, there are many groups you can involve yourself in to meet a like minded guy. Champion causes you care deeply about and meet others who feel the same way.

If you are an avid hiker or runner, join MeetUp groups for those activities. As a matter of fact, MeetUp can be one of the best ways to find someone who enjoys the same things. There are groups for everything! Movies, Dinners, Wine Tasting, Rock Climbing, Book Clubs…you name it, there is probably a MeetUp group for it!

Why go to a bar where you never know who’s being their real self? You will find a better dating pool from people who share your values, beliefs, ethnicity or culture, and in the meantime, you will enjoy doing things that are meaningful to you. When you meet a guy that enjoys the same things and is involved in similar activities, you are setting the stage for a life time of happiness.

Love,

“Getting back to Nature”…there is nothing more beautiful than what God created…use the outdoors when proposing!  This trend is big. Go to a gorgeous garden, a lake, a snowy mountain.  Nature grounds us. It brings a sense of comfort and ahh. Setup a private table with a birch candle or arrangement, a picture of the two of you and her favorite snack/dessert by a lake or hang a chair swing with decorative pillows underneath an oak tree…sweet memory indeed.  You can even carve your initials into champagne/wine coasters for a keepsake. Let nature provide the grandeur.

Beau-coup.com

Chard Photo

Love,
The Yes Girls

One of my friends went on a date with a woman he had met through a very popular dating site, gotten through to the stage of talking on the phone regularly and when he met her, her picture was clearly from another decade. It was very unnerving. When he asked her about it, she said, “Well I was afraid people wouldn’t even respond to my profile if I put a current picture.” She just didn’t get it, no one wants to be lied to.

We want to find people to date that are honest, and we do not want to get unpleasant surprises when we find out that the woman we’ve been exchanging messages with is really ten years older, and her photo is from twelve years ago, before her hair went completely gray (not that there’s anything wrong with gray hair)!

What’s the cut-off for fudging on a profile anyway? Is it acceptable for her to report that she weighs 120 lbs when she really weighs 135 lbs? Is it okay for her to omit information like the fact that she has tattoos from head to toe? How do you know if a woman is being less than honest?

First, it’s not uncommon for people, both men and women, to conveniently forget that they gained ten pounds over the holidays, or that they had a birthday six months ago. That doesn’t necessarily make it right, though.

You’re the only person who can decide if any misleading information is grounds for kicking someone to the curb, or if certain misrepresentations are considered outright purposeful dishonesty. If you’re trying to weed the wrong kinds of women out of your dating pool, then here’s what you should do:

• Decide where your “honesty cut-off” is, and do not waiver from it. If you do, you’ll always feel that nagging concern in the back of your mind that she’s not being totally upfront with you about other things.
• Have several conversations with a prospective date, online and by phone if possible to get to know her before you even suggest a date. Look for inconsistencies.
• Ask lots of questions about her life. Don’t try to be a detective or to conduct an inquisition, just gather lots of information to help you make an informed decision about whether or not she’d be a good candidate for your romantic life.
• Talk to her about what you value in life and see how she responds. Keep this kind of conversation light, because if you start to sound like you’re preaching, you’re going to turn her off.

If it’s seriously important to you that your date is tattoo-free for example, you could strike up a conversation about how you once considered getting a tattoo, but you decided that you like the look of the skin you were born with – free of artwork. You can do this with just about any subject – the way she responds will tell you a lot.

• Make the first date something very easy to get out of – coffee, or a walk in the park, or meeting at a popular spot for a quick drink after work. Set a time limit that you keep. That way if you meet, and you find that your date hasn’t been upfront with you, you have an easy way out.

Good women are out there, and they’re willing to be upfront about themselves. They may want to put the accent on their good traits (that’s just normal) but they won’t misrepresent themselves just to get a date, and neither should you.

Best of luck with your upcoming date!

Love,

The Yes Girls