Spring wedding season is nearly here! And in addition to spring flowers popping up, so are the season’s color trends. In fact, MagnetStreet recently released their spring wedding color trend report. From timeless schemes to trending themes, these gorgeous palettes have this season blossoming with fresh color ideas for a spring wedding!

Take a peek.

There have been lots of studies regarding the effects of relationships on health–and specifically on married couples. Taken from this NY Times article, one of the first studies was conducted in 1858 by William Farr, a British epidemiologist, who studied the “conjugal condition” {the married, the celibate, and the widowed} people of France. Dr. Farr’s “groundbreaking study showed that the unmarried died from disease in undue proportion to their married counterparts.” Although today’s society has changed quite a bit from 1858, Dr. Farr’s study helped launch an entire discipline devoted to medical stats and the health advantages of being married. More contemporary studies have shown that positive relationships have positive effects.

Poet Robert Browning wrote, “Success in marriage is more than finding the right person: it is being the right person.”
Philosopher Paul Tillich said, “Any deep relationship to another human being requires watchfulness and nourishment.”

So what does a healthy, successful marriage look like? Read below: 10 secrets of a successful marriage.

10 Secrets On What Makes a Good Marriage

1-5: 10 Secrets of Highly Successful Couples
6-10: Ten Secrets to a Successful Marriage

1. Successful couples enjoy each other.
They like to be together, talk together, do things together.

2. Successful couples seek and offer forgiveness.  
They may not forgive and forget, but they do forgive and let it go.

3. Successful couples are in it for the long haul.
“There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in between.” said professional basketball coach Pat Riley.

4. Successful couples learn and grow together.
“One couple, after being married for 30 years, decided they would both return to university for their master’s degrees in liberal arts.”

5. Successful couples adhere to the 60/40 rule.
Boggs and Miller discovered that “marriage masters” have a high level of selflessness. “Walter” whom they interviewed, told them, “I’ll never forget what my mentor told my wife and me before we got married 42 years ago. He looked at us and said, ‘Most people think marriage is 50/50. It’s not. It’s 60/40. You give 60. You take 40. And that goes for both of you.” It was a principle Walter and his wife adhered to faithfully.

6. The grass is greenest where you water it.
Successful couples have learned to resist the grass is greener myth. They have learned to put their energy into making themselves and their marriage better.

7. You can change your marriage by changing yourself.
Veteran couples have learned that trying to change their spouse is like trying to push a rope – almost impossible. Often, the only person we can change in our marriage is ourselves.

8. Happiness is not the most important thing.
Everyone wants to be happy, but happiness will come and go. Successful couples learn to intentionally do things that will bring happiness back when life pulls it away.

9. Couples discover the value in just showing up.
When things get tough and couples don’t know what to do, they need to hang in there and be there for their spouse. Time has a way of helping couples work things out by providing opportunities to reduce stress and overcome challenges.

10. Love is a verb, not just a feeling.
Everyday life wears away the “feel good side of marriage.” Feelings, like happiness, will fluctuate. But, real love is based on a couple’s vows of commitment: “For better or for worse” – when it feels good and when it doesn’t.

Sources

Parachin, Victor M. “10 Secrets of Highly Successful Couples.” for YourTango.com via The Huffington Post. August 12, 2013.
Temple, Mitch. “Ten Secrets to a Successful Marriage.” Focus on the Family. 2009.
Parker-Pope, Tara. “Is Marriage Good for Your Health?” The NY Times. April 18, 2010
Emling, Shelley. “A Happy Marriage Leads to Better Health, Study Finds” The Huffington Post. February 20, 2013.
Harris, Siobhan. “Marriage–it really is good for you!” WebMD feature. March 13, 2014.

We have a super sweet city hall wedding from Nicole Amanda Photography for you today! Our Canadian couple, Shermica and Dwight, were married at Ottawa City Hall and their fall nuptials also included their portraiture at nearby Confederation Park. Looking mighty handsome, Dwight wore a purple vest and tie to complement his gray suit. And carrying a small bouquet of lavender roses and baby’s breath, Shermica looked incredibly lovely in her floral hairpiece, darling short lace dress, and purple pumps. After pictures in the park, Shermica and Dwight gathered with family and friends for a small lunch at Courtyard Restaurant.

Getting married at city hall? Be inspired! Enjoy!

If a small and local wedding is more your thing, check out this resource article and download the printable pdf of wedding venue ideas–from city hall to a botanical gardens.

Credits

Photographer:  Nicole Amanda Photography
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Much thanks to Jennifer Van Elk Photography for sharing Chelsea and Andrew’s pink and blue DIY wedding with us today. Not only is it full of fun twists on tradition, it’s also full of personality, pretty pinks, and handcrafted sweetness. Coffee replaced cocktails at Chelsea and Andrew’s dry wedding while yard games kept guests busy while help converted the ceremony area into a reception.

Donned in lace, a birdcage veil and TOMS shoes, Chelsea made a lovely modern-vintage bride. The bridesmaids wore an array of patterned pinks and instead of flowers, carried large pinwheels. The guys were casually dressed in khakis and wore pinwheel boutonnieres.

There is much to love about Chelsea and Andrew’s DIY wedding and a few favorite highlights include: their DIY ceremony backdrop, their twist on the unity candle tradition, their bunting cake topper, a surprise flash dance from the wedding party and their lavender send-off. Enjoy!

A Memory and a Heirloom
Chelsea’s lace wrapped bouquet is her grandmother’s wedding dress!

Alternative to the Unity Candle:
Instead of partaking in the unity candle tradition, Chelsea and Andrew performed a unity painting.

DIY Ceremony Backdrop
Chelsea and a friend made their ceremony backdrop out of cross stitching frames, yarn, tree limbs, and rocks.

Wedding Party Surprise Flash Dance
The wedding party and a few guests surprised the bride and groom with a flash dance to Beyonce’s, “Until The End of Time”.

Lavender Send-off

Congratulations Andrew and Chelsea!

Credits

Photographer:  Jennifer Van Elk Photography
Floral Designer: Dandelions
Dress Store:David’s Bridal
Makeup Artist:MaNell Hembree
Reception Venue: Muncie Alliance Church
Caterer: OnSiteCaterer.com
Hair Stylist: Redhead Salon
Cake Designer:Under the Sun Bakery
Dress Designer: Vera Wang
Submitted via Two Bright Lights