Christie Nightingale, Principal of Premier Match, with offices in NJ ,NYC, PA and DC is a renowned relationship expert and media spokesperson on the topics of dating, love and relationships. “When I look around, I see that the movie The Five-Year Engagement” depicts the true trend in marriages in the US.” She has seen a significant change in the younger population of people who are seeking marriage. Many hold off on marriage until their late-30s, if they get married at all. Many more have partners who they cohabitate with and start having families with regardless of saying, “I do.”

According to the Pew Research Center, marriage is losing its market share.

Barely half of adults ages 18 and older are married – 51% in 2010, compared with 72% in 1960. This decline is especially notable for young adults: 20% of 18- to 29-year-olds were married in 2010, compared with 59% in 1960

So, what’s the reason for these statistics? Well, more are people opting for higher educations and higher degrees. They want to be settled into their careers, have some savings and travel before they truly settle down. Or some married young, got divorced and don’t want to go through it again. They’d rather be in a long term-relationship that can be just as meaningful as a marriage. And sometimes, life just happens. Hollywood definetly tapped into the trend with the movie, “The Five-Year Engagement.” read more

At one point in my dating “career,” I started to explore hitting on men as an alternative to waiting for him to hit on me. At first I felt very confident and “ballsy,” if you will. I’d spot a guy that I found attractive and I’d march right over to him and start up a conversation. I would almost always think that things were going good and that I had really impressed the guy. I’d often leave the conversation with a cute one-liner that had him chuckling and my number stored into his phone, but time and time again this technique would flop because HE NEVER CALLED!!!

Now, either I coincidently always chose men who were somehow unavailable, starting a new relationship or getting back with their exes OR it had to have been my approach! I started to think that hitting on a guy does not work. I think that men need to feel the chase; like they are these big burly hunters out fighting for their kill! Somehow hunting is not fun when your prey comes right up to you and basically grabs your riffle by the shaft (no pun intended) and tells you to fire!!

Needless to say, this method of meeting men has been filed away for a while now. I think the best way to get a guy to come and talk to you is to smile at him and hope that he can muster up enough courage to come and at least say hello.

What experiences have you had with hitting on men?

~Relationship Vixen

You know you are on the back-burner when “He lets you go to sleep mad”

The oldest trick in the dating book has been sweeping the nation lately…The “Back-Burner” phenomenon- Daters beware! This strategy is used by many and it can be very deceiving if you let it. People now- a- days are always looking for the better deal. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in not settling for anything but the best, but when I know that something or SOMEONE is not right for me then I know how to tell them goodbye.

5 Ways To Tell If You Are on Somebody’s “Back Burner”:

1.) They make plans with you last second- This guy has more “interesting” things to do, but if those things fall through then he’s always got you as a back-up plan. Don’t fall for this sly means of keeping you interested just enough, so HE’s not alone!

2.) They say one thing but act in another way- This guy has an agenda and that agenda does not include your feelings or happiness. His agenda only includes his needs and wants. Stringing you along is of no concern for him. He’ll give you the world of love you so desire, but he’ll do it with WORDS only.

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