Weddings on the mind...

My mind is nearly consumed with thoughts of weddings these days. So much so that I nearly forgot to post here! My baby brother is getting married this weekend, and it's sure to be a party. I'm looking forward to seeing him and his fiancee get married, but I'm also surprised at how quickly the time has gone. I remember when I first met my brother's fiancee, back when they were just freshmen in college.

But why am I talking about weddings? I've also been thinking a lot lately about what romances promise readers. As a writer, what level of a "happily ever after" do I need to deliver on? Is it dependent upon the length of the story? Is it going to vary from story to story, period? As a reader, I started consuming romances when I was just starting high school. Being raised the good little Catholic girl I was, I believed in being married and being chaste until you were. Which is the main reason I stuck with Signet Regency Romances and other similar lines for so long. Now, as an adult, I recognize all the different flavors of life to suit the individuals we are as humans. I can play around with what promises my stories deliver on. But to what extent? My question to you, dear readers, at what point/s are you feel the promise of romance has been delivered?