We have observed that most women are more romantic than men. “Women are incurably romantic,” an analyst once said. Instead of fighting this fact, the wise husband will cooperate with this need in his wife’s heart. Because the honeymoon is the fulfillment of a woman’s lifelong dreams, a loving husband will do everything possible to make them come true.

When I look back on our honeymoon, I must admit that I had planned everything poorly. Bev and I got married on a Saturday night at her church. An old friend and his wife who had come to the wedding decided to join us in our apartment while he gave me a one-hour lecture on the “realities of life.”

This happened after the reception, the photos, and packing our car. We went to bed at 1:45 a.m.! Our first day of marriage was spent on a twelve-hour drive, followed by a stop around 8 p.m. at a motel somewhere in the mountains of Kentucky.

The next day, we arrived in Greenville, South Carolina, where another pastoral student and I were building a trailer park for married students. I quickly got back to work. The one clear lesson Bev learned from this chaotic trip was to start adjusting immediately to the crazy pace I subjected her to for over forty exciting years.

If I had known then what I know now, I would have planned the days following the wedding differently. We would have gotten married in the afternoon. Then, we would have distanced ourselves from our friends to be alone, allowing at least a week to get to know each other before my future wife had to face her new life as a spouse.

One of the main advantages of an afternoon wedding is that you can spend the entire first night without the inevitable hustle and bustle that awaits a young couple after the reception. They can retreat to a hotel room, unpack, refresh themselves, and quietly enjoy a snack or dinner together.

Most young couples eat and sleep irregularly before their wedding and, due to the frenzy of preparations, leave the ceremony completely exhausted. They need to sit quietly, relax from all the excitement, and eat enough to raise their blood sugar levels and gain more energy.

Back in the room, the groom may wish to carry his wife across the threshold in the traditional manner. From that moment, they will be alone and can feel free to get to know each other as intimately as possible. The husband must proceed slowly and very gently, with tender caresses and verbal expressions of love.

At this stage, the line between a husband’s love and a man’s passion is thin. The husband who rushes this first encounter may unconsciously convey to his new wife the idea that he is more driven by passion than by love and interest in her. A slow and gentle approach will reveal his love for her through self-control. It is important to add here that all sexual relations should take place under circumstances where the couple can be assured of absolute privacy.

Men are so determined that this is not as important for them as it is for their wife, but modest women need to be assured that no one will accidentally interrupt them. In a motel room, it is easy to lock the door at night. In their bedroom at home, they should install a lock on the door. Such a precaution is a necessary investment for successful sexual relations.

The romantic husband will ensure that the lights are dimmed, providing visibility without excessive brightness, and if possible, will offer soft music…

This text is an excerpt from the book “The Act of Marriage: The Beauty of Sexual Love“ written by Tim and Beverly LaHaye.

We invite you to read the following article: “Foreplay.”

PRELIMINARY. PRELIMINARY. PRELIMINARY. PRELIMINARY.