Advice from CEO’s in “Fortunate 500″ marriages

5 Best Practices…

Here’s the business plan:

Timely information… coupled with strategic involvement… leads to a happy bride

Previously determined – the wedding’s:

Mission Statement = survival of the fittest
Core values = she’s always right
ROI = years of wedded bliss

Now you need the action plan to close the deal, right? OK, guys, listen: Contrary to what you might have heard, there’s more to your role in all of this than just popping the question and then showing up. Yes, your fiancé has spent her whole life dreaming of this day and while it’s thoughtful of you to want her to have her way, trust us: She wants you to be involved in the process.

So, what does strategic involvement look like to an Executive Groom? Here are five action items:

1.  Ask her questions. And don’t even think that a yes/no question counts. Something along the lines of, “so tell me, what is it that drew you to this …item on our registry… this restaurant…selecting this reception site… The point is to get her talking. That will not only help you find out fun facts about her, but it also becomes a stress reliever for her. She just wants to know you care because caring = involvement (this is good for the overall business plan, remember?)

2. Listen to the answers. You may think this is the same as the first action item…it is not…(this is how you gather timely information for the business plan)

3. Remember the answers. When you have asked well and listened well, the remembering comes easily. (also great for the KOI’s) Plus, remembering those little details will help you score big with the next action item.

4. Give thoughtful gifts from time to time. Trust me; you’ll know “the time”! Check out etsy for affordable and personal gifts that say “as much as I love your uniqueness, what I really love is watching you be that person every day”. In my case, my man would go to etsy and search for “purple handbags” and be assured it would bring a smile to my face (and all the rewards that go with it…)

5. Tell her everyday, and yes, I do mean every single day, why you’re so glad she’s part of your life. And that you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Lastly, be ever mindful that the crazed woman who’s planning your wedding is not the woman you’re marrying – she’s under a ton of pressure right now! And the wisdom through the ages assures us, this too shall pass. After all, she’s your business partner for life.