How The Royal Wedding Can Matter To Guys

My qualifications for what I'm about to tell you: I have two brothers, was raised in a neighborhood of boys, and sit for 5 hours in a smallish room with a man who is 100% man (you're welcome, Jack). I'm single, so I can speak freely to what a woman appreciates without getting into trouble with a boyfriend or husband for potentially calling him out. I'm a sensible woman, not prone to fairy tales and happy endings or romanticism, and I recognize reality. I like baseball and football, and I'm not a fan of women traveling to the bathroom in packs. And I don't really like shopping.

Now that I've got that stated, on to the topic at hand.

Guys, I know you don't care about the royal wedding.

Why should you care about two people who aren't even in your own country?

Especially when there's an NFL Draft happening?

Because, guys, you can totally use the royal wedding to your advantage today.

Lemme tell you how:

• Women, whether they're interested in the royal wedding or not, like to feel pretty and be told they're pretty. Feeling pretty doesn't mean they like to dress up. Showing a woman that you care for her can make her feel pretty. If you were still dating, what would you be doing today to win her affection? How can you show your woman that you care for her today?

• At the altar, William leaned over to his bride-to-be and said, "You look beautiful." Daggone if I didn't feel a little something in my heart go squishy. He told her she was beautiful. It was sweet, it was tender, it was a moment. Guys, your woman wants to know you think she's beautiful. Pick a moment today, be intentional, and tell her she's beautiful. She's not going to tell you, "You're only saying that because the prince said it." And if she does say it, you can tell her, "It reminded me that I don't tell you enough that I think you're beautiful. I don't want to miss out on an opportunity to tell you... I think you look beautiful." If you throw an "I love you" in there somewhere, that'd be OK. Trust me, you'll make her day.

• The uniform. Oh, the uniform. Prince William and Harry looked smart and handsome in their uniforms. We women know you don't like to get dressed up for us. Wearing a tie makes you feel like you're wearing a noose. The suit jacket makes you feel so hot that you're going to die. We know. You tell us. We hear you. So when you get dressed up for us without complaining, we know you are making a sacrifice for us. It makes us feel special, treasured, and honored. Does the fact that you look handsome and hot in a suit help? If you tell us to get gussied up because you're taking us somewhere nice, it's a wonderful thing. By the way, you don't have to spend a lot of money to take us some place nice. You could order dinner at a place down the street, put it on your nicest dishes, put some candles on the table to create a moment, and maybe some soft music on in the background. The effort you made has quadruple the value of a $200 meal at a fancy restaurant. Don't forget to do the dishes.

• As they left the church, Prince William gently held his wife's hand, guiding her out of the church, helping her into the carriage. On the balcony, he once again took his wife's hand and guided her through the door. To women, it's a sign of protection, care, and being a gentleman. Last night I was walking into the mall behind a mother and her teenage son. The son's drawers were drooping and the expression on his face said, "I'm bored and I don't want to do this." He began walking through the door ahead of me, paused, and then moved to hold the door open for me, allowing me to enter first. I was shocked and surprised by his gentlemanly display. I thanked him. And I heard his mother say, "Well done, son." A droopy drawered teenage boy held the door open for me and suddenly he looked a little more mature. He made me feel like a queen. Imagine what would happen if you did that for your woman today? Or maybe held her hand? Hello! No brainer, guys!

Seriously, guys, you can totally capitalize on the royal wedding today. Any woman that was watching it is totally ready to have *her* prince make her feel like a princess. Surprise her. Bring her home some flowers today. Hold her hand. Tell her you love her. Make her feel special. Words are free. Showing her you care is free. What you'll in return for your investment will be priceless.

Note to single guys: you can get in on this by holding a door open for a lady, not zoning out when they're talking to you (unless they *really* yammer without giving you an opportunity to talk, then you get a pass), etc. Being a gentleman is a high valued currency in a woman's world.

Note to women: if your man goes out of his way to express appreciation for you, don't dismiss him or make fun of him or bring up a chore he has to do or tell him, "It's about time." Thank him and respect his efforts. Appreciate him.

And now, to restore the man balance after talking about emotions and caring and holding hands and such, I bring you a picture of a manly meat: bacon. You're welcome.