As this should be one of the most enjoyable times of your life, make sure you have a supportive group of family and friends around you.

Enjoy the female companionship around you, when choosing your wedding dress, wedding theme and little details such as wedding jewellery sets.

Remember as a bride to be that men are different animals to women, and if your future husband does not get as excited as you about the wedding preparations its best not to take this too personally.

In preparing for a wedding it is easy to forget that the reality is that once the big day is over what you are really preparing for is a life shared with someone that you love.

Pre-wedding nerves can be helped with a realistic approach to the overall picture which is committing to another human being for life, warts and all.

History of the roles of men and women has pigeon-holed how we are expected to behave in relationships, and nowadays younger people have the opportunity to evolve and realize the real differences and learn to embrace them and be tolerant.

The ideal marriage is when your partner is your best friend as well as your lover.

When the initial romance settles down into something less passionate, a relationship can find itself at a crossroads.

At this stage a relationship can either move onto a deeper level which can take some work and a lot of honesty, but believe me the potential life you will have with your partner makes this worthwhile. Some couples are lucky and this process can happen relatively naturally, but most have to put some work into it.

The psychological differences between women and men can throw up obstacles and hurt within a relationship, and this is the turning off the crossroads that some couples, often through a lack of knowledge, take once the initial romance has worn off.

One of the main differences is that a woman just wants to be heard when she talks about issues or problems, whereas a man feels the need to find a solution.

A man is more likely to be thinking but not communicating a problem as he feels he should find a solution.

In the meantime the woman is feeling confused as he seems withdrawn and she may force him into talking when he is not ready.

Mutual respect and awareness of our differences is the solution.

On top of this the boundaries of bread-winner have changed massively over the years, which can lead to insecurity for some men.

As a woman it is really important to be aware of this.

It is not the fault of a man when he feels this way, as it has been part of his role in society since the time of hunter-gatherer.

Also remember that your partner can often be playing the role of mirror to you. So some of the annoying things about him can be traits you also have, but have cleverly covered up, or at least you think so!

If as two human beings you approach the relationship with the same compassion they would have for their close friends, this also makes a big difference.

If you view your partner as what he can potentially be by being your life partner, you will naturally make him feel good and this way you will discover ways that you can both encourage each other in realizing your full potential.

For a successful relationship, do your best to forget your pre-conditioning and male and female.

Practice treating him as your best friend, as over time he should become your best friend as well as your lover.