marriage

Ancient smoking etiquette – we’ve come a long way, baby.

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Love Mad Men? You’ll love this etiquette q & a! It’s amazing to see how things have changed- smoking was so normal there were dos and don’ts! Yikes.

I got my hands recently on an etiquette Q&A compilation from Amy Vanderbilt, columnist and etiquette authority from the 50s-70s.  I will be sharing gems on the blog in the coming months.  Here’s my favorite so far, not wedding related, but too good not to share.

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Amy Vanderbilt’s ad for Lucky Strikes

 Q: Recently, when four of us were dining out- two married couples- one of the husbands left the table for a few minutes. The remaining husband, left with his wife and the wife of the other, lit the cigarette first of his friend’s wife and then of his own.  His wife felt that as her escort, he should have lit her cigarette first. Which is correct?

 A: As one woman was left alone, the husband and wife remaining are, in effect, her host and hostess for the moment.  Therefore it was correct for the remaining husband to light the guest’s cigarette first, then his wife’s.  

There you have it folks, cigarettiquette.

Be well, and love well.  And for goodness sakes.  Don’t smoke!

-Dinah

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BEST WEDDING PLANNING BOOKS – #1 more to come!

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Sometimes books that help you plan your wedding aren’t about weddings at all- but about relationships. Keeping in emotional touch with your partner during this stressful time is incredibly important.

“Men are from Mars Women are from Venus” sounded like the kind of self help drivel I normally wouldn’t touch, but a trusted friend told me there was some wisdom in there worth checking out. Boy was she right! Learning how men and women have different needs when it comes to lasting love strengthens my husband and my relationship to this day. I highly recommend checking this book out before you get married, to make sure you’re both ready for interplanetary travel.

More book recs to come – sign up for blog updates in the upper right hand corner to get them delivered to you!

Be well and love well.

-Dinah

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How to survive planning your wedding

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Planning a wedding is exciting, but overwhelming. It’s easy to let the big event overtake your whole life- but there are ways to stay calm and take it one step at a time.  Let’s learn some successful strategies for making wedding planning manageable.

  • Have perspective:  Any large undertaking can seem insurmountable.  It’s important to put things in perspective.  Planning a wedding is akin to eating a life size chocolate elephant.  You need to do it in pieces, and a little at a time or you’ll feel very uneasy in your stomach.

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    A well planned wedding: Liz & Kathleen
    photo by Max & Friends
  • Know where your strengths are:  There are going to be parts of the process that appeal to you more than others.   Are you a foodie? Focus on the menu.  Fashionista? Designing the event will be oodles of fun.  For the places you’re dreading, don’t force yourself to slog through – recruit help, professional or friends and family.
  • Don’t rush it: We get it.  You’re in love, and don’t want to wait around.  But Rome wasn’t built in a day! Rushing through details will cause details to be overlooked, details that properly looked after, could be the moments that mean the most to you and your intended.

Being engaged is a joyous time – make sure you breathe and savor the interlude!  Once the streamers are tossed and the  DJ has packed up her records, chances are you’ll remember the process as much as the day itself.  Enjoy the journey.

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

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