No, the revolution is not for husbands. It’s for wives of high-maintenance husbands.

In another one of my writing lives I’m working to develop content for a high-maintenance husband blog by way of my high-maintenance husband Squidoo lens and my high-maintenance hubbie Twitter profile.

Throughout this process I’ve examined the habits of metrosexuals turned high-maintenance husbands to analyze how a wife is supposed to deal with such an offender. This revolution is about understanding these men, letting them be themselves without going crazy ourselves, and of course, laughing at them. In addition to dashes of humor, there will be insights into relationships too, because that’s what I do.

I’d love to hear from other wives and girlfriends of high-maintenance men to add to this growing collection of humor. If your boyfriend or hubbie drives you a little nuts, but you love him anyway, leave a comment or shoot me an email at sara at datingtales dot net to let me know.

There are a number of things to consider when planning a destination wedding including location, photography, the price for you and your soon-to-be spouse and the price for your guests. A destination wedding, although still a wedding, has many idiosyncrasies that need to be paid attention to.

The first thing to focus on are marriage laws.

Laws vary from county to country so it’s recommended that you research this first and before you become too attached to a particular location. Here are a few popular beach wedding destinations and their laws.

Aruba: To get married in Aruba you need to send in the proper paperwork at least 14 days in advance. All civil ceremonies must take place at the Civil Town House in Oranjestad, but a religious or other ceremony can be held elsewhere.

Mexico: Here foreigners are allowed to be married but it must be done by a Registro Civil officer in a civil ceremony. A series of documents and steps need to be taken—for example, blood tests and applications—so be sure to gather the necessary documents before you arrive in Mexico.

Greece: In order to get married here you have to get special permission from the president of the community you choose.

Jamaica: You need to be in the country for at least two working days before you tie the knot.

Florida: Like some other states, Florida offers a state-sanctioned marriage preparation course. Although it’s not required, it does reduce the marriage license fee and decreases your wait time to receive the actual license.  The wait time is typically three days, and there are no out-of-the-ordinary requirements.

Second, think long and hard about average temperatures, precipitation, and time of sunset.

A search on weather.com will give you average temps and inches of precipitation for each month. Although its romantic to have a beach side wedding, nothing is more disappointing than having to postpone your nuptials. Choose a location during a time when your chances for good weather are high.

Also, consider the sun light for your wedding. You want your photographer to take photos with optimal lighting. Although sunsets are beautiful, they may be harder to capture.

Third, it’s not just your budget that might be breaking.

Yes, weddings are expensive and no matter how hard you try you may spend thousands instead of hundreds. Just make sure to be sensitive to the budgets of your guests. Just because the wedding package in your chosen destination is less expensive than another, it doesn’t mean it will be affordable for your grandmother. Always double and triple check plane ticket costs, hotel rates, and food expenses before you agree to anything.

Last, three rules all brides and grooms must follow.

There are some rules that apply to all weddings whether it takes place on a beach or not.

1. Wear a dress that you can stand to be in for 12 hours.

2. When in doubt, don’t invite your crazy relatives and friends.

3. Last but definitely not least, say yes like you mean it.

I read on Switch.com that a Google employee used the “Street View” tool to propose to his fiance for the second time.

What do you think?

Someone I know is busy planning a wedding and a new life with her husband-to-be. Listening to her talk about the details I feel overwhelmed for her. I’m surprised I haven’t found her huddled in more corners crying herself into sedation.

But no, she perseveres. Each day she crosses more and more things off her to do list and gets more and more excited for the big day. Despite the bummers of wedding planning, honeymoon planning (they are traveling the world for undecided amount of time), moving (did I mention they sold their condo so they can travel?), and managing their own businesses, the couple still seems really happy.

They laugh a lot. They love each other a lot. They are even nice to each other in front of other people sometimes…it’s weird and a little gross.

They started dating about 2 ½ years ago and are still unclear who kissed who first. They are that kind of couple. They fight about the things that are fun to fight about.

About six months into the relationship she knew that she loved him. She went online and found a gift for him to hint at it because there was no way she was going to say it first. She purchased a sterling silver fortune cookie and had the words “You will have good fortune in love” printed on the piece of paper that was tucked inside of the cookie.

She chose these words because of a text message he had sent her months before. He had lunch without her and that was the fortune he received.

Now fast forward a year and half. They are living together and both are very happy. It was a pretty typical night with nothing much going on out of the ordinary. She was watching Grey’s Anatomy on the couch and he was busy ordering Chinese take out.

After the meal he came from the kitchen holding two fortune cookies. He stood before her and opened his. His fortune read: “You will have good fortune in love.”

My friend was speechless. She couldn’t understand how the fortune cookie could actually say that (she’s very literal). Dumbfounded, she just sat there with her mouth open and staring back at him. He had a goofy smile on his face and she was busy trying to figure out what was going on (was he proposing?). He nudged her to open her fortune cookie and once she did she saw the words: “Will you marry me?”

By now he was on his knees in front of her, and he had pulled a tiny box out from beneath the couch.

Like so many people I know that have gotten engaged, she doesn’t really remember what she said or what happened next. She said it was surreal. He said that only seconds after she had the ring she was planning their wedding and trying to decide who to call first.

So now here they are. Colors are decided, fittings are done, the buffet is selected, and the guest list is finalized. What a love story.

I hope they have fortune cookies for dessert. I love those yummy things.

Plastic, pink, and flashing bracelet, necklace, and earrings

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Two veils (one with crown) and a furry pink headband

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Wand

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T-shirt with rhinestones spelling the word “Bride”

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Penis cake

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Special purse with rhinestones outlining a diamond ring

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Penis shaped water gun

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Underwear with rhinestones spelling “Mrs.”

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Beauty queen sash saying: “Sexy little bride”

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Pay backs are a bitch.

It’s a common issue among many bridesmaids: Do I bring a date to my friend’s wedding? I think it depends on the wedding, your friend, and most importantly your date. Here are seven things to consider:

Consideration one: Will your date be entertained when you are not around?

As a bridesmaid you are responsible to follow the bride wherever she goes. This includes the shopping, brunch, pedicure and rehearsal the day before. On the day of, just plan on being by her side from the moment she wakes up until the minute she’s in the limo on the way back to the hotel. She chose you because she wants your help and companionship through the whole experience. So be there, without your date. He should be able to entertain himself without you.

Consideration two: Can your date make friends with your friends?

While you are off drying tears and holding up a wedding dress while she pees, you need to be confident your date will make friends with your friends and the

dates of your friends. You want him to impress your friends, not turn them off. See consideration number one.

Consideration three: Will he say you look beautiful tonight?

Part of the fun of a wedding is getting dressed up, looking beautiful and enjoying the sentimentality of the whole event. Will your date appreciate your stunning looks and the romance of a wedding? A date that just doesn’t care about weddings will act as a buzz kill, so choose someone you know will make you feel good.

Consideration four: Make a date for on the dance floor.

Once the dinner responsibilities are through, make a date with your date to meet on the dance floor for the first slow song. This will make him feel part of it and also guarantee at least five minutes of semi-alone time.

Consideration five: The introductions.

Go out of your way to introduce your date to the bride, groom, their families, and your friends. Make him and the bride feel part of it by knowing everyone’s names. (See consideration number one.)

Consideration six: It’s not about you.

Don’t talk about your date or relationship with the bride; or anything other than her wedding, for that matter. It is cliché, but it truly is her day so leave you, your date, and your distaste for the bridesmaids dress out of any and all conversations.

Consideration seven: Is the guest list overstuffed?

Since you are a bridesmaid you are probably privy to the number of guests on the list and her budget. If you’ve heard her complain, stress, or bicker about the number of guests and her exceedingly expensive wedding, consider not bringing a date. It’s a favor, a plate, and several drinks that she is paying for and probably not that psyched about paying for either.

Happy wedding season!

Christmas may be the time for family feel goods and action adventures movies, but January and February are the time for romantic comedies. Yesterday I saw 27 Dresses and was surprised that it was not only comedic and romantic, but clever. If you’ve been a bridesmaid or ever wanted to be a bride, you’ll be able to relate.

I was also delighted to see a preview for the Sex and the City movie. I knew it was coming, but still surprised to see all four of those lovely ladies faces. There won’t be any plot spoiling or sneak peaking here so visit the Sex and the City web site for more info.

I know that the nuptials aren’t really an appropriate topic for DatingTales, but since it is engagement season I thought it was appropriate. Here are three bits of information I really must share.

1) One of my favorite bloggers has created a new blog, appropriately titled Wedding Idea Source, which is completely dedicated to wedding ideas. The content is classy and worthwhile. None of that wedding mumbo jumbo you read everywhere else.

2) Speaking of mumbo jumbo, you won’t find any of it at the Offbeat Bride either. Whether you are planning a wedding or not, this site is entertaining and inspiring. I’m almost (almost, but not really) embarrassed to admit the number of hours I’ve spent looking at all the cool pics.

3) DatingTales has also developed a new Web site dedicated to Skin Fitness. We just recently posted an article about the timing of facials and other skin treatments before a wedding or other big event. Check it out! www.skinfitnessfacts.com

The “T” stands for tales in case you were wondering:)

There are a few things that many of us don’t think about when it comes to marriage proposals. The reason is probably because it’s a hard thing to prepare for, and because it hopefully doesn’t happen that often.

Here are a few ideas for those of you on both the proposer and proposee side.

1)    If you choose to ask your soon-to-be fiance’s parents, think through the words. You’ll be nervous and there’s no need to be unprepared. A friend of mine recently asked his girlfriend’s dad what he thought about marrying his own daughter. The father’s response was to laugh and say that he already had a wife. Awkward.

2)    Making the moment special is important, but don’t get so caught up in the dramatics that you lose sight of love. Keep it sweet and keep it about the two of you.

3)    If you have an idea that you may be proposed to soon, take a minute or two to think of how you will accept. During the actual moment you may be so overcome that you are speechless. This is a great way to make the person with the ring question your response. Even if it’s just an “I love you” it will help ease the nerves.

4)    A public proposal requires a kit. Make sure to bring tissue, a camera, cell phone, and makeup in case she chooses to re-apply.

5)    Don’t spend a lot of time afterwards on the phone with family and friends. Choose a few people to talk to and save the rest for later. Enjoy the moment!

6)    Definitely don’t start planning right away. It’s only normal to start fantasizing about the big day, but you’ll have plenty of time to focus on that. In the first few days be happy about the marriage, not the wedding.

For only $16.2 million, Georges Marciano, the founder of Guess clothing company, purchased the largest high-quality diamond ever found. Sotheby’s (one of the world’s largest auction houses) sold the 84.37 carat rock last week and now it’s making the news.

You obviously can’t wear this thing, but it might make a nice centerpiece. But then again, who feels comfortable with a $16 million centerpiece. Maybe Mr. Marciano just wants to tell people that he has it and then leave it in a safe somewhere.

If only I were rich…