The Marriage Talk
Despite the Hollywood cliché, "fewer and fewer guys pop the question out of the blue," says Rhoades. "Most couples discuss it first." And that's good—even if you're deciding not to put a ring on it, like Jason and Megan, who have committed to being together forever without marrying. ("We'd shared opinions on this even before we dated," says Jason.) For Meg, the blogger, the technique that worked was keeping the conversation casual: "After seven years, he hadn't made a move," she recalls. "So on the way to a weekend away, I said, 'Ya know, our friends think we might get engaged on our trip.'" It started a discussion, and within months they'd decided to marry.
The Religion Talk
Jeanine, 34, a consultant from Northport, New York, and her future husband got this chat out of the way on their second date (not too early, says Rhoades). "He's Jewish and said his kids had to be raised that way," recalls Jeanine, who's Catholic. "I could do that, but I told him I would never convert." To her huge relief, he joked, "If you could turn your back on Jesus, how do I know you'd never cheat on me?" They now have two kids and a Christmas tree... and a menorah.
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10 TALKS ........