Tyrone Jones

Congratulations on getting married! Congratulations on getting through the ceremony and dealing with all of the details that that sort of thing entails! Congratulations on joining your lives and starting off on this new adventure! Congratulations on all of the other cliché things that people are saying are happening to you right now! You're probably sick of hearing them, but they are still true. In fact, at this moment it is likely that you are so sick of wedding stuff that you don't ever want to hear the words "wedding", "ceremony" "bride" "groom" "decision" or "but what about... " ever again.

Most of us think that we already know everything there is to know about getting married and what's involved. We know that we need to apply for a marriage license. How many of you already know, though, what comes next? How do you know for sure that your marriage is valid and legally recognized? More importantly, how do you prove it to others who might have questions?

Congratulations on your big move! Moving in together is a big step! This is true whether you are moving in together before you get married (or even consider getting married) or after your wedding. You are doing a very brave thing and it is important to acknowledge this.

Congratulations on deciding to get married! You are in for... okay, we can't lie. While being married is great and wonderful, the act of getting married can be quite stressful. There is the planning of the ceremony itself, the merging of two households (if you don't already live together) and all of the details involved with that. You also have to take the time to apply for your marriage license and then decide whether or not you are going to keep your name or change it.

You have spent a really long time planning your perfect wedding day. You want it to be perfect. It's okay to admit it. After spending months picking out decorations, arrangements, music, outfits, gifts, vows, and people to help you, it is understandable that you want the day to pass without incident. This is the day you've been dreaming of since at least the moment of your engagement... if not longer.

As you plan your wedding, you might be wondering how on earth you're supposed to memorize an entire set of wedding vows. Different couples deal with this in different ways, with some opting for non-traditional vows such as poetry verses or from-the-heart speeches in the moment. Others prefer to memorize their vows word for word to make for a picture-perfect ceremony that sounds beautiful to the audience.