Category Relationships

When it comes to modern partnerships, people are looking for options. With divorce rates hovering at an uncomfortably high number, it's no wonder that millennials are putting off getting married-or avoiding it altogether. But that doesn't mean that they don't want to form a lasting partnership with someone.

Once upon a time, living with your significant other before getting married was extremely taboo. Nowadays, however, it seems that it's taboo if a couple doesn't live together before walking down the aisle. According to the National Center for Family and Marriage Research, between 1965 and 1974, only 11 percent of women lived with their partner before their first marriage.

Sexy lingerie shouldn't be the only thing on your wedding night shopping list-consider throwing in a trip to the grocery store for a few of these aphrodisiacs, too. Whether you believe in the idea of libido-boosting foods or not, experts say there are certain nutrients that can improve your sex life.

As you host your closest friends (or maybe even some not-so-close relatives) this holiday season, you'll want to keep the drinks flowing and the good times rolling. Aside from acquiring all the most important components of a well-stocked bar cart, there are a few things you should pick up from the grocery and package stores in preparation.

I thought my friend's uncle was the coolest person I'd ever met. He wore sunglasses no matter what the weather was-and whether or not he was indoors-and seemed to constantly have a hangover. But, most importantly, he and his wife had not one, but two apartments in London. They both spent time in their separate apartments during the week and then, on the weekend, would go to their shared cottage by the sea.

Ever consider that love may truly be written in the stars? It does make sense-some star signs have personality traits that mesh quite beautifully with others and, conversely, some do not. In fact, some people hold the belief so firmly that the dating app Bumble recently rolled out a feature which lets those looking for love filter by zodiac sign.

Could turning up the heat in your marriage be as simple as turning on your phone and typing out a naughty text? Um, yeah. According to research presented at the American Psychological Association's 123rd Annual Convention, the more you sext, the more sexually satisfied you're likely to be in your relationship.

So much of a relationship happens on a subconscious level. It's the things you love about your partner that you can't put into words, the actual chemical connection the two of you share, and those moments when you just feel totally in sync. Have you ever felt like your S.O. can read your mind, found yourselves completing one another's sentences, or even walking, talking, and acting in similar ways?

Big gestures are great (no one would turn down a surprise weekend getaway, are we right?). But if we're honest, it's really the little, everyday things that count-especially when it comes to marriage. "The little everyday things you do for your partner lets them know that you are thinking about them and the relationship," explains Lesli Doares, marriage coach and author of Blueprint For A Lasting Marriage .

We know that communication is key when it comes to a successful relationship, but there are just certain topics you must be able to discuss before you can know you've found the One. "True intimacy requires openness and transparency," explains psychotherapist and relationship expert Toni Coleman. "In an intimate relationship, the individuals need to feel they can be themselves, warts and all, and know that they will be loved and accepted for who they truly are, with all the imperfections and history they bring to the relationship.

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest-and a lot of times, they're right. It seems like in the modern age, where two-thirds of couples live together for at least two years before they get married, that it shouldn't be that tricky of a transition. But despite no obvious changes on the outside for many couples, the first year of marriage presents a lot of new challenges.

You've planned a wedding, walked down the aisle, and signed your marriage license. The romance isn't over, but now that it's legal, it's time to think about the less exciting aspects of getting married, like changing your name, making financial plans, and addressing your healthcare. Getting married is a life status change, meaning now is the time for you and your partner to sit down and think about whether you want to combine your coverage onto a family plan.

Joan Covici was a widow living in Texas and volunteering with the ACLU when she began exchanging letters with Michael Jewell, a prisoner serving a life sentence for killing a man. They eventually fell in love and got married, never expecting their relationship to extend beyond the prison walls. But one day, it did; Jewell got paroled.

Let's get real about wedding ring tattoos for a sec. Yes, you want to commemorate your big day (and your love) forever and ever. Yes, you may already have tattoos and don't get nervous when you hear the hum of the tattoo gun. However, take a moment to step back and really think about it before you get a wedding ring tattoo.

Alison A. Armstrong, author of The Queen's Code, has helped millions of women and men learn to communicate better. For her latest installment of her Marriage Bootcamp series, Armstrong explains why the biggest piece of marriage advice you're getting is completely wrong. Most of us grew up hearing that marriage was all about compromise.

Stay-at-home dates get a bad rap. Why? Because, well, they're usually boring - a medley of take-out and Netflix reruns or something equally uninspiring. So we asked our experts for home-date nights you'll actually want to take, with tips for how to make each date night happen. Enjoy a Couples Massage April Masini, relationship and etiquette expert, recommends hiring professional massage therapists to come into your home and give you a tandem massage.

Being a couple often goes hand in hand with the merging of many things, some of which include hearts (of course), living spaces, families, and-for many-finances. Unfortunately, merging finances can be confusing and overwhelming; it's not always a pleasant experience, especially if one or both partners have been struggling with their credit.

There are some people in your life who you really want to get along. While a lot of emphasis is placed on your partner getting along with your family-and you getting along with your partner's family-there's another very important dynamic that's often overlooked: your partner and your best friend. Often, they are the two most important people in your life, so of course you want them to like each other-you probably want them to get along like a house on fire.

Nothing can make a man turn into a rabid feminist faster than “manimony”-the nickname that's popped up over the last 10 years for the rise in alimony payments made to men. Women paying out huge sums of money to exes used to be something we only saw among the rich and famous (here's looking at you, Joan Collins and J.

For some people, getting married is the ultimate relationship goal. In fact, for some, it's the ultimate life goal. But for other women, that's just not the case. There are a lot of women out there who are in happy, loving, long-term relationships who just don't feel the itch. Looking at why these women haven't tied the knot provides an interesting insight into changing views on marriage.