“Opposites attract”. You’ll hear that a lot if you are planning an interracial marriage. Wife and husband might look different – but are they really that different? If you both share similar interests, hobbies, opinions and sense of humor, you’re more alike than a lot married couples! This compatibility is more important than anything else in a relationship. You could point out about compatibility to your squabbling prejudiced future in-laws, but that’s recommended. They won’t appreciate your nugget of wisdom. They think they will be sparing you the pain of what interracial couples in their childhoods went through Both of you need to be strong in order for your team to win respect and acceptance.

Expect someone in your circle of friends and family to be shocked at the idea of an interracial romance. Expect stunned looks, stupid sayings and friends turning into strangers. Forewarned is forearmed. And know that you’re not alone. A 2005 US census reported that there are around 2.3 million interracial marriages in America alone. Know that mixed marriages are legal in most countries, no matter what your drinking buddy tells you.

A lot of information about what to prepare for in an interracial marriage can be found on the web. But don’t do a search of “interracial wife” or “interracial husband”. That tends to send you to porn sites. Although they can be illuminating, that’s probably not the eye-opening information you need right now.

Here are a few websites that can give you the information you need:

•Lovingyou.com Interracial Romance Forum (http://members.lovingyou.com/vbulletin/upload/forumdisplay.php?forumid=18) : Network with other couples going through the same things you are.
•What Everyone Needs To Know About Interracial Marriage (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/169861/what_everyone_should_know_about_interracial.html): Mentions facts, fears and the future of interracial romance that you can prepare for.
•Loveempire.net (http://www.loveempire.net/singles-dating-advice.html): A mini-directory of articles that is free to access.

Be sure to have some decisions made before announcing your engagement. Will you have one wedding or two to honor both traditions you grew up in? How will any children be raised? What will the neighbors think?

Be aware that discrimination still exists. You may loose a promotion because your marriage is interracial. Wife and husband both need to stick together once the decision to be together has been made. There will be times when you will be your only support. But mixed marriages on the rise, you will be fighting for respect not only for your interracial wife, husband or kids, but for all couples in love all over the world.

And you’re in good company. Famous interracial wife and husband teams that you could point out to your friends and family include black golf superstar Tiger Woods and white Elin Nordegrin, rock legend David Bowie and model Iman, and Prince Maxamillian of Lichtenstein with his Panamanian-born wife, Angela Brown. Children from mixed marriages who went on to fame include the aforementioned Tiger Woods, baseball player Derek Jeter and popular politician Barak Obama. So hold your head up high about having a marriage that’s interracial. Wife and husband as a happy team can show by example that fears about mixed marriages are baseless.