Dear Amy: My girlfriend and I are loyal fans of yours, just as some people are loyal to their sporting teams.
As your No. 1 fans, we use many of your articles in our daily discussions. This has helped us to get to know each other and ourselves better. We notice that many of your writers ask for advice without the knowledge of their partner, but we are sitting here together to request your advice.
My girlfriend and I met through a dating site and have been blissfully dating for six months.
We are in our early 30s and very much in love. We respect each other and have a great deal of fun together.
We are in a committed relationship and have discussed marriage in its early stages.
However, we are in complete opposition regarding a wedding celebration. I want an elaborate hall wedding, and she wants to save money and have a more intimate buffet wedding in her sister’s backyard.
She wants a clown, magician and inflatable bouncing machine for children at the celebration, but I think it’s more for her own enjoyment. Can you suggest a compromise? — The “Odd” Couple
Dear “Odd”: Normally, I edit out the excessive flattery (and the worst of the insults).
You are the first readers to compare yourselves to sports fans, however.
My solution to your wedding dilemma is to suggest that you both scale down your plans — but have two celebrations instead of one.
Your girlfriend’s idea sounds like a lot of fun for an engagement party or rehearsal dinner but not for a wedding.
You could dial down your own concept and still have a lovely, elegant and memorable affair that also conveys your girlfriend’s sense of fun.
When I married my own Mr. Fancy Pants last year, I wanted to serve barbecue chicken and corn on the cob at the reception dinner.
He didn’t. We compromised by doing everything his way. (Not that I’m bitter.)
When it comes to marriage, sometimes the best compromise is to recognize that the other person might actually have the better idea.
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