We're Going to Be One Happy Family...Or Else!
A very unique book written by a nationally respected marriage and family therapist who has worked with couples and families for over 30 years. Learn why a mother bought 25 copies for EVERYONE in her family to get everyone on the same page during the most intense, public, family event. Learn more

Wedding Discounts for Marriage Preparation
Want to literally save hundreds on your wedding? Do good by your upcoming marriage and let vendors give you discounts for your efforts. See qualifying purchases and participating vendors!
GETTING married is cake compared to BEING married
We make time to eat, sleep and go to work. Somehow the most complex, life long relationships are assumed to magically work. We offer many options for marriage preparation for the secular, religious, the talkative personality, the laid back personality... Learn more
Wedding Vendors
Weddings & Relationships
Marriage Prep
4 part weekly class. Interactive, anonomous, online and by phone.
Wedding Stress and Mistakes Made with Parents
Parents are a funny thing. You may expect them to be complete thrilled with your engagement and the wedding or maybe you think they won't really care much. Their actual reactions can run across the board and your own response to their reaction can also surprise you! Why do they care?
We hear of couples who want more attention from their parents. They would like nothing more than their parent to HAVE an opinion on anything! These couples recognize the importance of their parents and wish to include them in ways they would enjoy but the parents are so restrained and aloof.
The other extreme we all know about - the monster mother, the overbearing, controlling, "I plan your wedding and you get to plan your daughters wedding" mom. The mom who thinks it's all about her and who does not like a single idea you have. These women don't care who is paying because this is their day to show the world how they plan a fabulous event.
Our book, Take Back Your Wedding, goes into great detail on dealing with your parents. It even includes sample dialogue on those aloof parents, or the bitterly divorced parents who are making your life a living hell.
The theme of our advice throughout wedding planning is to always realize who the key stakeholders are in your wedding and never lose sight of the bigger goal. You want a wonderful wedding but you also don't want to create such intense drama and chaos along the way that by the time you get to your first dance, everyone is upset with you or you hate everyone for being so demanding. Ultimately being selfish requires letting others have some opinions or at least listening to others so when it is your moment to shine they feel they are important to you and your wedding day. It's counter-cultural advice to the notion that it's your day and everyone should salut but it's going to set you up for a much nicer wedding and marriage.
