by Lisa Ray

Planning for a wedding is a good way to practice “for better or worse” as it is usually a stressful, busy time. And let’s just face it – this is usually a more stressful time for the bride than for the groom.

But that doesn’t mean that grooms are off the hook.

Grooms, this is your time to shine. Keeping the romance alive during this busy time can definitely earn you bonus points with your bride.

Romance does not have to be flashy or expensive. In fact, oftentimes it is the little things that women find to be the most romantic.

Most brides interviewed for this article said the most romantic thing their grooms did for them was be involved in the wedding, and the grooms agreed that this was one of the things their brides appreciated the most.

Katy, who has been happily married to Ed for four years said, “Ed was 100 percent involved in planning our wedding. It meant a lot to me that he was a part of every detail—whether it mattered to him or not.”

Sara who has been married to Brian for two years said she appreciated it most when Brian let her know that he was impressed with her wedding plans and when he praised her efforts in front of her family and his.

Kevin who has been married to Megan for two happy months romanced his bride by writing out the love story of their relationship to be read at the wedding.

Even when the wedding is over and you are back from the honeymoon, there is still much to be done. Pitching in to write thank-you notes and organizing gifts is a good way to show your bride that you love her.

“When we got home from our honeymoon over one half of the thank-you notes were written by him (Ed),” Katy said. “Marriage is a journey of sharing and compromise and it is nice to start in the planning of the wedding.”

Other suggestions women gave were making dinner for the bride-to-be and leaving her sweet messages on the mirror for her to see when she wakes up in the morning.

Women love to talk about how wonderful their significant others are. So another gesture that wins big is sending her flowers or candy when she is with her friends or co-workers. This is a good way to tell your bride that you are thinking of her even when you are not together.

Perhaps the most important thing a couple needs to remember before the wedding and after is to schedule time to be alone together. When the tuxedo fittings are taking the groom one place, and flower arrangements are taking the bride to another, it can be hard to get together. That is why making a point to have special time, just the two of you, will show your bride how important your relationship is to you.

Laurie who has been married to Erich for almost two years said, “Our romance was the constant nearness of one another…. We had a lot of love going on just being together.”