With wedding season in full swing and so much of our time being devoted to editing and emailing clients (not to mention nurturing and caring for our lovely families) we have decided to launch a brand new blog series (why not add more to our plates, right?). This series will center on one question: “What Does Marriage Really Mean?” The objective here is to reach out to fellow bloggers, vendors, clients, readers, professors and people from all walks of life and ask for them to contribute to this ongoing conversation about what truly is a philosophical question. You’ll see the question go from “What Does Marriage Really Mean” to “What Does Love Really Mean”; either topic can be addressed in this series.

This subject is, without question, inspired by Plato’s Symposium, in which the topic of concern was about the genesis, purpose and nature of love. A number of men made speeches on the subject, thus beginning a fascinating dialogue. That is precisely what I hope to achieve here: to get the pot stirring. Love, marriage, weddings, etc all deserve more attention from the philosophical side of things. Why do we do the things that we do? Why do we feel this way? Are we meant to feel obligated to monogamy? What purpose does marriage serve to you? What does it serve to society?

The list of questions go on and on, as I hope this conversation will also. I have reached out to a number of people who inspire me in various areas of my life and I have been met with a lot of positive responses and expect to fill this blog with tons of conversations on the subject. The series will be ongoing, and I will continue blogging about others things as the series progresses. I will also make my own contribution to the question after things get going.

Please feel free to comment and discuss the writer’s take on the question. Perhaps we will all learn a little something about marriage, love and life in general.

Our first contribution comes from across the Atlantic from Lianne, a wedding blogger who has a very active website and social media presence, sharing tons of really fantastic and creative ideas for brides in the UK!

So What Does Love Really Mean?

I have been thinking about this question a lot and wondering where love really comes from, I have always thought that an over whelming feeling as strong and real as true love comes from the heart, I suppose this idea comes from the rush of adrenaline that washes over you when you see that person for the first time, causing your heart to beat rapidly, I’m sure everyone has experienced that type of feeling at one time or another, but I am talking about take your breath away, make you want to cry with joy love!

There is something surreal and beautiful about wanting to share your life with someone that literally makes you feel like you can achieve anything, as long as the one you end your days with is right beside you.

Love like that can be hard to find and everlasting love can seem lost especially when you have been searching, but I am a strong believer in friendship before love, molding something out of pure friendship can hold the key to a long and happy relationship. Love is about wanting. Wanting to be near, wanting to laugh, wanting to share everything you are with one person, the good the bad and the ugly.

Does love mean knowing each other inside and out and being happy with that? It is all too easy to feel suffocated by love these days, modern relationships allow independence and a sense of individuality, even in a marriage. I believe that love is about being yourself, being whole with one person and being truly happy. Not everyday, life throws too many curve balls for love to be plain sailing, but it’s about compromise, patience and everything in between, but if you can say at the end of it all you were loved then that makes everything else worth it I would say.

Author Bio: My name is Lianne

When it comes to weddings there isn’t anything i don’t love to write about. I enjoy researching beautiful and creative ideas to inspire any bride to be sharing everything i love on my own Blog www.adoreweddings.co.uk. Please follow me on twitter @Adore_Weddings

Thank you Lianne for getting this series started. Keep checking back for the next installment of this series.

Special thanks to Chi Photography for providing the photos for this post. Paul Nguyen is a great photographer who hails from the west coast of Florida. Be sure to check out their web site and like them on Facebook.

-APL