by Richard Pahl

Created on: February 14, 2009

So you wanna get married on Valentine's Day. . .

You romantic cuss, you. You proposed, she said yes, and you suggested Valentine's Day for the nuptials. Such a romantic notion! Did you consider the full ramifications of this brilliant idea?

Not the choice of spouse, of course, but the choice of day. Brooks didn't. Brooks joked that he chose Feb 14th because he would never forget an anniversary. And he hasn't. That's the good news. But there are somethings that need to be mentioned before you actually go ahead and get the full ten dollar Marryin' Sam Wedding.

Anniversary Cards. If you want to go "Off Theme" for a anniversary card, good luck. There are plenty of Valentine Anniversary cards. The only problem, they all look the same and say the same thing. If you buy an anniversary card that isn't a valentine special, you're gonna be accused of being oblivious to the holiday. If you buy one that is, you're gonna be guilty of no imagination.

Ever try to go out for dinner on VALENTINE'S DAY? Brooks won't even consider it. Nor will his wife. When you chose to get hitched on Feb 14th, you elected to get married on the same day as every couple in the world wants to go to dinner . . . at their special romantic hideaway. Which, of course, is her fav! Ask anyone in the resturant biz, and they'll tell you that VALENTINE'S DAY and Mother's day are the one and two of the go-out-to-dinner nights.

Dinners notwithstanding, any romantic getaway ideas or special things to do will be done with the great unwashed, because it's their day to do it too. Ski slopes are jammed. Cruises are filled to the gunnels with fresh-faced, oily skinned bikinis and speedos, making it utterly impossible for you to go out on deck with your boxers and modest one-piece swimsuit. Suggest staying home and just relaxing, and your significant other thinks you're a boorish cloddish cheapskate.

On Friday the thirteenth, the Dr Phil show pointed out that on VALENTINE'S DAY, 65 percent of the wives want a "romantic" evening, prepared by their spouse. Only six percent said they wanted sex. Of the guys, on the other hand, 86 percent said they wanted sex, 10 percent wanted an evening planned by their spouse. So for your great anniversary night, there is a huge zig and zag of wants and needs.

Want to buy flowers for your bride? On VALENTINE'S DAY, the price for roses can be ten times as much as they are if you got married on March 15th. Expect a price-gouging on your anniversary. Anything to do with romance, or dining, or dancing of sleeping away from home is gonna be sky high, just on your anniversary. It ain't fair. The only thing about this is when you think about it, they really aren't picking on you. Just seems like it.

Do you want to surprise your valentine bride on your anniversary? Forget it. How can you pull off any kind of romantic surprise on the one day of the year that romance is a given?

Getting married on VALENTINE'S DAY is the sign of a hopeless romantic. Brooks and his wife are still together, after 45 years, so there must be something to running away and getting married. But I also know that Brooks and his bride do thier "anniversary" stuff on a day near Valentine's Day. To them the actual date isn't important.

Happy Anniversary, Babe . . .

Learn more about this author, Richard Pahl.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.