Once a dating relationship grows and deepens in intimacy, a man is faced with the temptation to isolate from his friends and family and devote all his time and energy to his committed lover. As many women already know, if you want to keep your life in balance, you must must keep same sex friendships a priority. Same sex friendships provide a valuable function, enabling one to express feelings and share common interests that have always been a part of one's life since childhood. By nurturing friendships and family ties through the development of a new romance, one will retain trusted confidants with whom to share the inevitable ups and downs and gain valuable feedback. 

This concept seems very revolutionary to many American men today, but it is nothing new. Historian Ellen Rothman noted that even engaged couples in the 1800s remained socially active with both men and women. The idea was to maintain balance in one's life even as one attained marriage. There never was this artificial isolation leading to the honeymoon. In fact, the honeymoon, which originated in the 1830s and eventually became a cherished American wedding tradition, was originally a bridal trip which included friends and close relatives. Today's honeymoon, where the couple rushes off to a secret exotic locale, isolated from friends and family, is very antithesis of the original healthy community celebration of marriage.