|
|
| Marriage & Wedding Information |
|
|
|
|
Divorce Rate Plummets As More Americans Shack Up Instead of Getting Married
More Americans are taking "til death do us part" seriously. According to the recently released Rutgers University National Marriage Project the number of divorces is declining. But the lower divorce rate is largely because couples are postponing, choosing not to, or are legally unable to get married. Like Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham, and Elton John and David Furnish, these 11 million unmarried couples are in committed relationships and sharing financial obligations, but aren't entitled to the 1,140 federal laws that apply to married couples. "Although unmarried couples don't receive federal protection like married couples, documents can be developed to mirror some of those protections, not just if you break up, but in the event of the death or incapacitation of one of the partners" says Debra Neiman, CFP® and co-author of Money Without Matrimony. "From creating a durable power of attorney to making sure jointly held property is correctly titled, it takes work for unmarried couples to protect themselves financially, but it's well worth the effort." According to Current Population Reports the average American will spend the majority of their life unmarried and those people will likely partner, live together and enter financial commitments with another person. Neiman, with co-author Sheryl Garrett, CFP® caution these couples to do the necessary paperwork and planning while the relationship is good. "No matter how temporary or permanent the relationship, it's easier making financial decisions about the future of your relationship while you're still in love," says Garrett. "Because there are no laws to protect finances for unmarried couples ? barring states that recognize common law marriages ? planning today makes a possible break up tomorrow easier, financially speaking." And planning is not just for romantically involved couples. "Whether romantically involved, or not, the issues are the same," says Neiman. "Everything needs to be in writing including who pays what bills, how rent will be paid and who gets what if the two of you part ways." Al Martin is a freelance writer covering real estate, personal finance and investing topics.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Promise Ring- More Than Just a Pre-Engagement Ring When one thinks of a promise ring it is common to think of a small, inexpensive ring given to a woman as a promise of marriage in the future; however, this is not always the case. A promise ring has several other purposes besides being a pre-engagement ring. A promise ring can be given or used for any sign of commitment. The following are some other common uses for a promise ring. How to Have a Sizzler of a Honeymoon! Article No. 3 Remember the frenzy of the paparazzi when they caught Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, having her toe sucked at a beach? What was the big deal? Was it that she was so well-known? Or was it that this piece of fore play was being conducted in a more or less public place? Or was it the toe itself that did it? How to Find the Right Bridesmaid Dresses for Your Wedding The kind of bridesmaid dresses your bridal attendants should should wear depends on the type of wedding you end up having. A Wedding Shower Invitation Should Be Attractive And Stylish! Wedding shower invitations should lay out all of the necessary information, yet still be attractive. One way to do this is to have a picture engraved on the invitation. Ask your engraver to add a small design on the inside of your invitation or wherever you have information about the reception. If, for example, an ice cream social is your theme see if there is an ice cream cone or Sundae dish they can emboss onto the paper without taking away from the main body of the invitation. Remember that subtlety is stylish; you don't want to come across as overpowering with your theme. When To Order and Send Your Wedding Invitations Wedding Invitations should be ordered when you have all the details of your wedding set? place, time of ceremony and reception as well as your guest list. Plan to place your invitation order at least 3-4 months in advance, some companies may require 4-6 months. Especially, if you are ordering custom made invitations or handmade invitations and coordinating ensembles. Depending on the intricacy of your design and because they are not mass produced, but rather assembled one by one it can take anywhere from 4 to 10 weeks for your order to arrive. Also consider the factor of the design process, possibility of errors, proofs and changes in your design. Exotic Island Wedding! Where Dreams Truly Come True in Paradise As a travel professional considering an exotic island wedding was a logical choice, but having to convince a strong Catholic family was the challenge I faced! I was never a traditionalist in the sense, and I have attended so many conventional weddings with a church ceremony and post-reception in the past, I wanted to do something different and special for the most important day of my life! Writing Your Wedding Vows the Way Poets Do Let's face it, not many of us have the kind of skills or experience to write truly poetic wedding vows. Or do we? Here's the truth: Even if you don't know Dylan Thomas from Bob Dylan, and you're pretty sure T.S. Elliot was that guy who wrote the words to Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Cats," all is not lost! In fact, there are ways to learn to write the words you want. With four simple steps, you can take what you feel in your heart and make it come out as sweetly as any Shakespearian sonnet. New Trends for Wedding Favors 2005 Wedding favors have evolved over time. Wedding favors today combine the traditional with the modern and elegant design with great functionality. Here are some of the hot new trends in wedding favors: The Perfect Bridal Makeup for Your Wedding Day It's important that your makeup look its absolute best for your wedding day. Whether you plan to marry on a beach at noon or at night under the stars, by keep your makeup simple you will look and feel great. You don't want to much, nor too little, a natural look is very important. This is not the time to be experimenting with new looks. Your makeup should enhance your beauty not hide it. Here are some tips to help with you achieve your pefect bridal makeup: The Runaway Brides ( & Grooms) The 1999 Julia Roberts movie 'Runaway Bride' is about a woman who gets nervous about marriage and runs away at the last minute, leaving the groom at the altar. If you thought this happened only in reel life, the running away recently of Jennifer Wilbanks, a 32-year-old from Georgia who concocted a kidnapping story to escape the wedding, should prove otherwise. The incident caused a lot of discussion in the media, with many discussing similar wedding jitters that caused them to break off their wedding at the last minute. Prenuptial Agreements "Til death do us part" is still the language used in most weddings. Couples enter marriage with the hope of making a lifetime commitment. If this goal is not reached or if a spouse dies, the desire to be a couple is so ingrained that most will marry again. Throwing a Las Vegas Garden Wedding You may not think of Las Vegas as an area known for its gardens but you'd be wrong. There are more gardens in and around Las Vegas than you'd think possible given the desert environment, the heat and the crowds of tourists that never stop coming. There are gardens inside in some of the most unlikely places and there are outside gardens that will make you forget you're in the desert. Getting Married? Read this 1st. Original gift ideas for your Bridesmaids and Bestman. The Loveliest Las Vegas Wedding Reception If you are actually planning your Las Vegas wedding reception, you're already a step ahead of a lot of people who get married in Vegas! All kidding aside - this is certainly a momentous occasion, and for your wedding reception Las Vegas has the expertise to make it perfect. Negotiation Strategies Especially for Couples These guidelines will help you avoid the three most common negotiating mistakes couples make: 1) Failure to prepare before the negotiation with your partner; 2) Caving in too quickly to avoid tension or to keep the peace; and 3) Stubbornly pushing too hard for your own solution. What Being Best Man is All About Being a best man is like many duties you will undertake in your life no problem (even enjoyable) if you are fully prepared. Have a Garden Theme Dream Wedding You've found the perfect venue: old oaks, a stone wall, a gazebo, acres of fragrant jasmine and honeysuckle, and even a small, clear pond. Now it's time to take the garden wedding of your dreams a little further. Let's start with invitations. Love According to the Encarta Dictionary, love is an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion; a passionate feeling or romantic desire and sexual attraction. Erich Fromm made these comments: Planning a Special Wedding Shower The wedding shower is a traditional party of the marriage process. Often times the bridal party, or the people who have been asked to be in the wedding, will through the party for the couple. Or, other times, friends or family members will hold it for them. Making a wedding shower memorable starts with planning. First, you need to decide if the party will be formal or relaxed and laid back. Often times, large families will have a formal wedding shower for the bride and groom which may include a fancy dinner at a nice restaurant. Other times, some of the brides close friends will get together at a house and throw a small get together for them. Either way, once this choice is made, the planning begins. Wedding Flowers and Arrangements?Best Advice from the Experts Now that you are planning your wedding, you've got to choose bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, church arrangements, and a stunning corsage for one of the most important people who will attend the ceremony-your mother. Somehow, you'll have to make the arrangements for all this, and at a cost that will likely be between 10 and 15 percent of your overall wedding budget.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |