You often hear about how high school sweethearts who marry don’t last over the long haul. Well many do. Here are 10 reasons why…

I bought my husband the funniest New Yorker cartoon birthday card. A middle-aged guy is sitting hunched over the edge of a bed in a hotel room speaking to his wife on the phone. It’s late at night, he is still in his shirt and tie, and his suit jacket is neatly folded beside him.

I was sitting in the fabulous garden of the Union Street Inn enjoying the last few minutes of our visit to San Francisco before heading to the airport, and back home to Toronto. My husband John walks in with a big smile on his face, waving his mobile device at me.

Here is how the conversation started. My husband John and I were in San Francisco at the Hertz rent-a-car. We were waiting to pick up a Camaro convertible for our drive to Big Sur.

Your wedding is one of the most important milestones in your relationship. So, why pop a bottle of bubbly to acknowledge this significant occasion only once a year?

This couple looks so giddy and head-over-heels in love you might assume this is their engagement shoot. (We did at first.) But Liz and Trey are in fact already married, and wanted to do an anniversary shoot to capture how strong their love and commitment remains after the wedding.

When you are married to a criminal lawyer, it seems fitting to refer to your quarter-century wedding anniversary as “25 to life.”

Wouldn’t it be dreamy if life after “I do” went off without a hitch? But marriage and co-habiting aren’t fairy tales. If they were, Cinderella wouldn’t discard her dirty Kleenex around the house, and Prince Charming wouldn’t leave the toilet seat up.

My husband John and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year. We have never been sentimental about our anniversary. The most we ever do is exchange cards–if we remember (my BFF, Heather, whose nephew was born on our wedding day, sometimes reminds me).

The goal of any couple standing at the altar is to commit to their vows and stick together for better or for worse. But we know that not all newlyweds make it to happily ever after.