On Valentine's Day we partake in and witness grand gestures of romantic love that include chocolates, flowers, lingerie, love notes and candlelit dinners. All of that is quite nice, of course, but an annual romantic splash is not enough to sustain a romantic connection. 

Relationship and couple counselor Terri DiMatteo argues that romance is not an essential 'part of' a committed relationship or marriage - but, in fact, a committed relationship or marriage, by definition, is a romantic union! 

Real-life demands, stresses and strains are certainly forces that work against the softer, tender and desirous feelings essential to romantic feelings. 

So how does a couple sustain romance over time? Is romance really that  important? What happens when romance diminishes and is replaced by functionality, practicality and efficiency?