You know that you want to make your relationship with your spouse special and romance is the ideal way to do that. Romance keeps the passion and love alive in any relationship, but just like most good things romance comes with a few rules in order to make it work.

Romance can be planned or spontaneous and both are perfectly acceptable. Spontaneous romance is almost always wonderful because both you and your spouse are often caught up in the moment and you are both sharing an intimate experience together. It is often when you plan romance that mistakes can be made if you arent aware of the rules of romance.

The first and probably most important rule of romance is that your relationship should always come first in your life. While this may be a difficult concept for those who have put so much time and effort into your career, but when you are retired and cuddling with your spouse on the front porch you probably wont be wishing you had spent more time at work. Everything in your life should be an outpouring from your relationship. Everything you do should be because of your marriage and the love you share with your spouse. When considering this idea, be sure not to mistake it with being the one in your relationship who must always suffer for the sake of principle. That can only hurt your relationship. A good marriage consists of two people who always support and encourage each other.

When you bring romance into your relationship, it is crucial that you understand it is your spouse who defines what is romantic. You can give her chocolates, flowers and jewelry until you are broke, but it wont do a thing for your marriage if she doesnt like chocolate, flowers and jewelry. The same goes for wives giving to husbands. Pay attention to his or her likes and dislikes. Theres no point in cooking a special meal all day long if hes got a craving for chicken wings.

When two people get married and their lives grow together, there seems to be less and less opportunity for spontaneity. This isnt a bad thing! Planning is simply creating the opportunity. Plan out a week or even an entire month of romance. Plan your Anniversary celebration. Plan a surprise night out on the town. The element of surprise is just as good as spontaneity. In fact, its probably better. You spent time putting thought and effort into your gesture. Impulsive is great, but planned can be better.

Romance doesnt always mean presenting gifts. Gifts are wonderful gestures, especially if they are something he or she can truly appreciate but they cannot compensate for some of the more important romantic gestures in a relationship- special time with each other. Special time with each other doesnt mean going out and doing things each weekend. Spending times together on the sofa or not rushing through dinner and enjoy each others company is very romantic. Give it a try and youll see how romantic simple time together can truly be!