The above marriage tips for long-term success are important but I believe that intimacy is one of the most important parts of a good marriage. Intimacy is more than just sex. Our psychological, spiritual, and physical makeup cries out for intimacy with one another. The reason we have this feeling is that God designed marriage to be the most intimate of all human relationships, in which we share life intellectually, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. There are many ways to make a marriage proposal special, but some of them will take some forward planning. For instance, you could consider fulfilling a dream your partner has to swim with dolphins, and ask the question when you are both in the water with the graceful animals swimming around you. Alternatively, how about a hot air balloon ride over some beautiful scenery such as the Californian vineyards or even an African savannah if you want to go really exotic! Common Law Marriage Many Americans believe that if they are together for a specific length of time, like seven years, that they are engaged in a common law marriage. That is an old myth that is “busted.” While some states do recognize common law marriage, they are few and their restrictions are stringent. When gathering marriage proposal ideas, you want to make sure that your proposal is memorable and one that she will want to share proudly with everyone. If you cannot think of a great way to propose, try one of these marriage proposal ideas. Go Back to the Place of Origin When thinking of marriage proposal ideas, men often think about the place of the first date. This could well be right over a large number of generations, already today we see many children of obvious mixed race background in the school yard – but is this really such a dreadful thing? An interracial marriage is one of the most positive steps for a world that is no longer interested in picking at the differences between one culture and another, but instead, focuses not only on the similarities but also the strengths that one race can share with another. This was considered an embarrassment. Many slaves lived in this manner. The relationship was not meant to be permanent; it was only supposed to last until the slaves had gained their freedom. Courtesans also existed at this point in time. These women lived either with their mothers and sisters or in an apartment provided by whatever man they were involved with at the time.