Romantic love (or romance) is a combinaton of caring (good will) and desire (attraction) that makes you feel "in love" with your mate. Romance strengthens and enlivens the marriage relationship.

You create romance in marriage as you increase feelings of caring and desire by meeting your mate's most important relationship needs and helping him or her to meet yours.

Learn how to meet your mate's 7 basic relationship needs to become the man or woman of his or her dreams:

1. respect – her need | his need
2. appreciation – her need | his need
3. companionship – her need | his need
4. spiritual solidarity – her need | his need
5. domestic support – her need | his need
6. to feel cherished – her need | his need
7. sensuous affection – her need | his need

Like a tender plant, your mate's romantic nature can fully blossom only in a nurturing environment. You are the gardener. Learn how to cultivate your mate's romantic nature by visiting our Garden of Romance and Smart Talk pages, and by following the links below. As you follow the advice on these pages, you will be enabling your mate to better meet your 7 basic relationship needs. Help him or her to . . .

1. show you respect – her | him
2. show you appreciation – help her | help him
3. be a pleasant companion – help her | help him
4. stand by you spiritually – help her | help him
5. give you domestic support – help her | help him
6. cherish you – help her | help him
7. be affectionate – help her | help him

These tools will help you take the principles discussed in the previous sections and put them into practice in your marriage.

for men | for women