A WeddingDay Blogger Explores the Secrets of Marriage

I didn’t expect to find true love personified among the kale, cucumbers, and artisan cheeses at the farmers market, but there they were: a couple, easily in their late 80’s, walking into the stream of shoppers as they held each other’s hand, she gently leading him.

Suddenly, my shopping list seemed trite as no piece of organic produce mattered as much as my understanding the love between that husband and wife.  

More than anything, I wanted to run up to them and ask them what they have probably been asked dozens of times for at least two decades: "What is the secret of a successful and happy marriage?"

Knowing I would want to quote them for this blog, I dashed to my car parked only a 100 yards away to grab my notepad and pen. By the time I returned, however, they had disappeared into the crowds of single, engaged, divorced, widowed, and married people.

Flustered, I lapped the market several times, trying to find the couple who I felt sure could share their invaluable secret to a happy life together, but they had vanished taking their secret with them.

A wedding in the United States averages $33,000 and can take some couples two or more years to plan. The amount of resources and effort that goes into making that perfect day perfect can be incredible, but how much planning goes into the life that begins after ‘I do?'  

What do some couples have that keep them madly in love with each other until death literally parts them? Does romantic love shift into something else in time, and if it does, what does that mean? What can be done to ensure your marriage lasts and enriches your life in the process? What makes for a happy marriage?

In this blog, we'll talk to marriage counselors, newlyweds and great-grandparents, spiritual leaders, writers, lawyers, professors, as well as asking for the thoughts of Wedding Day Magazine's readers.

Everyone falls in love, but what sustains that love for a lifetime is at the core of what we'll be exploring in this blog.

The elderly couple at the farmers market seemingly vanished into the booths selling grass-fed beef, squash buds in plastic cups, and homemade chorizo tamales. Had the shoppers considered what this couple may have been able to offer, they would have dropped their fresh produce and asked the couple how to keep love fresh.

But the couple was gone, and the recipe we all truly want was gone with them. While this specific couple may have been elusive, we can all hope that what they shared together, is something we can all find.

What other happiness-within-marriage questions do you believe people should explore before walking down the aisle? Leave your comments below.  

In the next post: Can the answers to two questions predict if you'll be happily married or not?