As I write my All’s Crazy in Love series, focused around one big dare and one big wedding, I can’t get the idea of my billionaire couples, weddings, honeymoons—and what comes after—out of my mind. After all, it’s June. The month of all things wedding.
What I really get caught up on is this: my book ends with the proposal of a very wealthy man to woman who may or may not have a nickel to her name. But, what comes after the wedding? Specifically, how is marriage different when you’re stinking rich, than when you aren’t?
Billionaires Don’t Marry or Honeymoon Like Us
After all, if television is to be believed, the rich throw weddings the rest of us can barely imagine, let alone afford. Here are multimillion-dollar affairs attended by megastars where the bride and groom arrived by helicopter, cake tiers reach as high as skyscrapers, requiring specially enforced tables to support them, and each guest exits with the tote bag full of lavish thank you gifts, simply for attending.
If the wedding looks like that, can you picture the honeymoon?
What kind of honeymoon can follow all that pageantry? For the ultra-rich a honeymoon must be over the top, since every other day, not to mention the wedding, is already larger than life.
Our couple might sail about on a private yacht the size of a cruise ship, their every desire catered to by a staff of dozens or “rough it” on an adventure tour where a prep team has traveled ahead to smooth their way. They can honeymoon in lavish destinations, arriving by private jet, perhaps staying in the mansion of a friend on Lake Como, or a private island in the Caribbean, or secreting off to a hideaway villa in the Maldives. Whatever they do, it will be luxurious, certainly, but the key is that it will private and secluded.
After the Honeymoon You’re Not Alone Anymore
My storybook billionaires are lucky. They are businessmen, not rock stars. In most cases their faces are all but unknown, except to a select group of women who seek them out for marriage. Once off the list of available bachelors, even those people lose interest. Privacy is all but guaranteed.
There is no paparazzi hovering behind every bush trying to capture my couples on film. Someone like Fletcher Donovan, from the upcoming Artfully Crazy, has numerous homes to choose from around the world when he wants to get away from it all with his lady love. He can travel and never leave home! Of course, his family owns a chain of hotels, so even away a hotel can be made to feel like home. How convenient.
Still, security and privacy are paramount to these billionaires, most of whom have spent their lives either in the limelight or trying to avoid it. Not so their newly married spouse. For someone marrying into these situations, bodyguards, photographers and constant requests for interviews are new and often uncomfortable. At the extreme of this, the paparazzi following the British Royal family, but movie stars, too, have had to seek injunctions to stop invasive press and snooping fans.
After the honeymoon, do these couples jet off to charming Mediterranean villages and dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, or to they get together with friends for Netflix and a home-cooked meal? When you’re a billionaire, how do you settle down to married life?
Billionaires Don’t Live Like Us Either
What does life offer a couple after the extravagance of the billionaire honeymoon? What happens when Sofia from Crazy to Believe, a hardworking self-proclaimed nerd, finds herself married to mega-rich CEO Jeremy? How can Keeli go from unwanted nuisance to welcome daughter-in-law in Bedazzled? Will their lives be what we call normal, or will they be filled with butlers and nannies, private jets and luxury estates?
What changes must an average spouse make to be married to a billionaire?
If you pictured Saturday nights in your jammies with popcorn and your sweetie streaming a movie, how do you adjust to a different black-tie fundraiser every weekend? If you grew up on a farm and jeans are your go-to outfit, how will you feel about hair and makeup arriving a few hours before every event?
At heart, once my pairs come together, they become power couples. One may have all the money, but they are now less socially awkward, or better able to pursue a new vision or release an old fear or habit because of their romantic partner and the confidence they found with love.
I try to create romances between equals, so my power couples will bring together their own unique talents, strengths, and ambitions. And just as they had to learn to communicate openly and honestly to form their relationship, this will be critical to building a lasting foundation for their partnership.
I imagine the uber-rich have busier than average schedules, more high-pressure situations and media attention, so an alignment of their goals is even more crucial to succeed. Finding common ground, making time for one another and aligning their goals can ensure that they are both moving in the same direction.
And here they are just like the rest of us. They must learn to compromise, be flexible, and support each other’s dreams.
Billionaire Newlyweds: Early Day and Tough Decisions
Becoming a billionaire couple, especially one with seven meddling friends comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Does Sofia keep working? Does she change jobs now that she’s married to the boss? Keeli has struggled to build a business. I can’t imagine she would readily give it up.
Suddenly, these are previously private lives are lived with public scrutiny and perhaps less freedom. Does a billionaire have more choice or less, when all is said and done?
Sloane was groomed to run her father’s business, but it no longer exists when we join her and Randall at the beginning of Beholden. But she was raised to be comfortable within Chicago’s elite society. It’s the norm for her to chair charitable events, wear designer dresses and attend black-tie dinners. Not Leah, our starving artist who is awestruck by the world of wealth to which she is exposed in Artfully Crazy.
Despite their differing circumstances, as newlyweds, these women are navigating new marriages and a new reality, all under a spotlight. Everything they do now reflects on them, their husbands, and their families. Do they suddenly need to worry about their appearance just to buy groceries? Do they even buy groceries anymore? Do they do so with bodyguards surrounding them?
Each couple must find their own way. They must navigate a new reality making certain required public appearances while finding quiet moments and protecting each other’s privacy. And they must find meaningful ways to be equal partners in the marriage, as they were in the courtship.
Navigating Billionaire Families and Friends
One of the hallmarks of modern romance novels is the miscommunication or misunderstanding that almost derails the entire future for a couple. A simple wedding gift can leave a bride at the altar in Crazy to Wed, and a few overheard words might cost Sofia her career in Crazy to Dream. All misunderstandings.
The expectations surrounding a high-profile union are immense, not only from the public and the media but especially from the families and social circles of the newlyweds, who have often stood in the way of the marriage previously.
One of the key challenges for billionaire newlyweds is managing the expectations of their respective families. In my novels, at least one partner comes from a background where they are accustomed to a certain level of privilege and influence, and often, the other does not. Merging two such families can result in complex dynamics. Differences in wealth, social status, and upbringing often lead to tensions and conflicts that need to be addressed early on in the marriage, not to mention overcoming prejudices and slights to which one partner, like Keeli in Bedazzled, was exposed.
Again, open and honest conversations about expectations, boundaries, and values can help alleviate misunderstandings and prevent potential conflicts navigating these family dynamics. It is important for the newlyweds to establish a united front to their families, making it clear that they are a team and that decisions are made jointly.
Another important aspect for billionaire newlyweds to consider is how to navigate their social circles post-marriage. Especially when your social circle includes women like the Crazy Eights, outspoken and meddlesome, but bighearted and well-meaning.
Suddenly our newlyweds may find themselves inundated with invitations to events, galas, and parties, and it is crucial for them to prioritize their time and energy wisely. They need time with each other, of course, but I can’t image shy and quiet Avery, from Way Past Crazy, surviving the social season without being in constant contact with her true friends.
Our newlyweds will need to set boundaries around social engagements and be selective about the events they attend can help prevent burnout and maintain a sense of balance in their lives. What Randall and Sloane think is reasonable will overwhelm Jeremy and Sofia.
On the flip side, jointly supporting causes, from saving a park to saving a cat, will allow our couples to support each other in these social settings strengthen their bond through shared philanthropic endeavors while using their resources to support causes and their community.
Still, family and friends will pull at a couple, billionaire or otherwise, especially when a couple has little in common before the marry. The important thing is to agree on how to spend their social time, and to create quality time together. Perhaps they could schedule regular date nights, plan romantic getaways, or simply set aside dedicated time each day to communicate and connect with each other.
Sounds just like every other couple, doesn’t it?
But beyond family, the ultrarich also consider their legacy, and while we do too, it’s different. For someone like Keeli, or Leah, philanthropy will be new but sharing values with their husbands will not. Legacy is a significant consideration for billionaire couples.
Here is a real chance for our newlyweds to bond while having the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on society By creating a shared vision for their legacy our billionaire newlyweds align their values and goals to ensure their wealth is used in an impactful way.
Okay, so like I said, the rich are different. But like every newlywed couple, no matter their wealth level, our billionaire couple must remember that their relationship requires nurturing and attention in order to thrive.
That includes managing crazy friends, doting or irascible parents, constant calls from the office, or any other interruption. To make it in marriage, they must recommit to one another constantly. They need to work to keep the romance alive.
Maybe they’re not so different from the rest of us after all.
“These questions sound like a premise for an interesting novel,” she said, wondering who in the world she knows with the chops to write it. *cough* 😀
I like the idea of exploring what it’s really like for the middleclass girl.