5 ways to tell the marriage won't last

From the proposal to copying certain wedding trends, here are five early signs the marriage may not work out.|

As any Hollywood love story will tell you, it's easy to create the elaborate wedding of your dreams.

All the details are picture perfect, the happy couple is totally in sync and sometimes the whole wedding party breaks into a spontaneous dance routine. And when the wedding is over, the newly married couple rides off in the sunset and enjoys a lifetime of wedded bliss.1. The choreographed dance routine.

Yeah. Right.

In the real world, planning a wedding is hard stuff. And after the wedding? That's when the real work begins. So when a couple spends the bulk of their energy keeping up with the newly married Joneses, one has to wonder what things will be like when the honeymoon is over.

Here are five early signs that the marriage might be doomed.

We've all seen the videos being shared across the web. Some groom has gathered his posse and they're breaking a leg on the dance floor. Or a father-daughter dance becomes the next best thing to "Dancing With the Stars." Admittedly, these dances are pretty entertaining. But when the spotlight is already on the bride and groom, why is this even necessary? Instead of spending months practicing some elaborate choreographed dance, use that time to take your soon-to-be spouse on a much needed date that has nothing to do with wedding planning.

2. Too many showers.

There's the traditional bridal shower, where your friends and family offer the bride various gifts for her new life with her soon-to-be hubby. But then that's followed by the linen and lingerie shower. Then there's the honeymoon shower, the couple's shower, the kitchen shower, the stock-the-bar shower…. And don't forget the shower for work friends, the one with the groom's side of the family, the one with the church friends that's followed by the one with the Friday night bar friends… Um, how many showers does the happy couple need? Let's go back to just one or less showers, m'kay?

3. Over the top bachelor/bachelorette party.

If the night-before-the-wedding party looks like a scene out of 'The Hangover,' you may want to rethink the wedding.

4. A proposal that took more planning than the actual wedding.

Okay, there are some sweet proposal ideas out there. But guys (and girls!), there are more important things to worry about than trying to create the most memorable way to ask for her hand in marriage. I mean, is your goal for her to say yes, or to get the most hits on YouTube? Don't set yourself up for disaster, and stop trying to top the last guy who proposed. Trust us, if she loves you, any way you ask her will be romantic and special.

5. When mom plans the bachelorette party, then insists on attendingnot awkward at all.... If your future mother-in-law can't even keep herself out of the bachelorette party, think about what the future holds.

Shots at the bar, the stripper, your bride's mom... That's

Bonus sign:

6. When your significant other's name is on a cheating websiteIf your beloved's name appears on a website designed for cheating, like the Ashley Madison website, for instance, that should probably be a deal breaker.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.