Groom Duties

Why This Engaged Valentine’s Day Matters: Inside the Mind of the Bride

Some people say we’ve been a little tough on Valentine’s Day. 

We cover ways to avoid being a cliché, why you shouldn’t propose on V-Day, and 10 additional reasons why you, um, hate it.

Some people have also speculated that since we’re Anti-Valentine’s Day, we’re also anti-romance, anti-love, anti-human. Nope. We’re just Anti Being-Forced-Into-Obligatory-Traditions-That-Are-Sometimes-Lame.

That said… you can’t avoid Valentine’s Day. And especially not this year.

Our friends over at OneWed.com take us inside the mind of the bride, and explain why this year, especially, you need to rise to the occasion.  From Marta Segal Block at OneWed:

Inside the Mind of the Bride: Why This Valentine’s Day Matters

Depending on whom you believe, Valentine’s Day is either named for a saint, or a jailed Irish prisoner. Whomever it’s named for, we all know that the way we celebrate it was invented by greeting card companies and jewelry stores (not to mention restaurants, movie promoters, and chocolate makers).

Personally, I think people spend way too much money and put way too much focus on Valentine’s Day. That being said, for a lot of brides, the Valentine’s Day during your engagement, or right after your wedding is pretty special. We’ve all had those Valentine’s Days where we didn’t have anyone in our life, or when we were in less-than-ideal relationships. When that was the case the red and pink heart displays felt less like a celebration of love and more like a condemnation of our single status.

Having a Valentine’s Day when you’re actually in love and moving toward marriage can feel like a victory. Unless of course, your fiancé is the doofus who declares, “I don’t need any stupid holiday to do something special.” Here’s the thing, most of the guys who say that don’t ever follow it up with actually doing something special on a random day either.

I’m not saying you need to do anything big. Look, you’re planning a wedding that takes money and time. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about jewelry or big plans, but this woman has just agreed to spend the rest of her life with you. This is a time in your life when you should be feeling romantic and loving. When you should be excited to show this woman how much you care, even if you’re doing it on a commercialized schedule. So, buy a goofy card, or write her a note, take her out to dinner, or order something in. Make an effort.

If you start off your married life ignoring opportunities to be romantic and to show her that you care, what’s going to happen after you’ve been married for a few years?

Do yourself a favor, do something special this year, you’ve got plenty of time to slack off on the romance later!

Marta Segal Block writes the Ask the Wedding Maven advice column for OneWed.com, home to both the Savvy Scoop a daily blog of helpful and non-cringe-inducing wedding information and weddingpreparty.com, the single coolest way to plan your wedding online.

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