I asked parents at Becker’s about advice they’d given their daughters. Most of it was well-meaning, rooted in experience. (“The best gift you can give your children is to love your spouse.” “It’s not about the dress, it’s about the marriage.”) Some admonitions, however, were too adamant. (“Never date a man who is prettier than you are, and never date a man who smells better than you do.” “Marry a man who loves you a little more than you love him.”)

The lesson many young women take from such advice: Never listen to a parent who speaks in absolutes.

Pictured: Hansen sisters and mother Lynn