All Articles for Getting Married

Before marriage, I thought I was overly prepared for married life. But over the years I’ve found marriage to be unpredictable.

As I narrow down my list of potential bridesmaids, I realize I need more than someone to plan a wedding shower. I need someone who will help me be the wife I long to be.

Instead of looking to Hollywood for the answers about love and dating, find out what Scripture has to say.

The cultural confusion about masculinity has left many young guys to either shy away from their masculinity or use it selfishly.

When dating, we often miss one very important truth of relational health: Intimacy should never exceed commitment.

Ten questions guys commonly ask and our best answers to these often tricky (and awkward-to-talk-about) situations.

I wish I could speak to that fresh-faced, 22-year-old newlywed. She needed some of the wisdom that God has deposited in me over the last decade of marriage.

There are benefits to abstaining from sex while engaged. Here are five reasons to say “I won’t” until you say “I do.”

Marriage is a big deal. It makes sense to work through the hard questions together so you're equipped to keep the lifetime commitment you're about to make.

Here are five reasons I wish my husband and I hadn’t moved in together before saying “I do.”

Despite their differing marriage scenarios, my prayer for both the Bezos and Tebows is the same: a happy ending

I had no idea what being a wife meant other than we’d live together forever, hopefully have some kids, and file a joint tax return.

There’s no doubt that marrying my high school sweetheart benefited us for the better.

Marriage is a relationship that will transform you, if you let it. Saying “I do” is only the beginning of a lifetime of laughter, frustration, forgiveness, happiness, and deep joy. It’s worth it.

There’s a secret that nobody likes to tell dating or engaged couples: Marriage is really hard.

In these days it takes an intentional effort to arrive at marriage with optimal spiritual, relational, and emotional health.

When Ryan and Sarah were jolted by forces out of their control, they saw God transform the circumstances into good.

The story of two people who realized that commitment to one another is grounded in surrender to Jesus Christ.

A wedding is not the completion of engagement but the beginning of a new life.

When I asked my coworkers about how they got engaged, I discovered some proposals that put a smile on my face.

The second in a 3 part series.

October 2003 Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a three-part series.  You can read part one here and part two here. Our wedding day couldn’t have been more beautiful. The sun was shining, and the breeze was cool. My first waking moments were serene. “It’s my wedding day,” I thought as I enjoyed […]

If you want a truly "happily ever after" ending, you need to look for love the wise way

So you’re getting married! Congratulations! According to the latest research, if you are under the age of 30, there is a 58% chance that you are entering your marriage as a child of divorce. Do you fall into this category? If you’re wondering what on earth that has to do with the fact that you […]

If you’re anything like me, you dread the feelings this season brings.

It doesn’t take long for fear to replace trust, for intimacy to be broken. Just look at what happened in the first marriage.

I have come to see that I must think about my singleness in terms of a space for growth toward Christlikeness.

Many couples today view the wedding as a celebration of what they’ve attained rather than a commitment to spending their lives together.

Why is God so often absent from our ceremonies, except as a token prayer or Scripture reading?

An unexpected trial in the early years of one marriage.

A recent study suggests that cohabiting couples do not face a greater risk of divorce after they marry. But the whole picture is a bit more complicated.

Our modern notion of "falling in love" is based on feelings. And following your feelings can get you hurt.

Couples quickly learn that adjustments are inevitable and necessary in the first years of marriage.

Whether you’re six months or 60 years into your marriage, God can and will continue to teach you about how to become the man He wants you to be.

Here are some practical things I discovered during my first six months of marriage.

Understanding the difference between love and infatuation.

Most couples face common challenges in marriage. If you don't discuss and resolve the differences between you and your spouse, you're headed for rough marital waters.

For many, sex has become a hiding place–a behavior that presents the appearance of intimacy, but is really striving for self-protection.

We all need the support of friends, family, and mentors. But there’s nothing like the love and encouragement of your spouse.

Each of you brings a different background and a different set of expectations into your marriage. Here's how to establish the 'new normal.'

There is a false and harmful notion that a good relationship is something you find, when in fact it is something you make.

During the first years of marriage (and sometimes for years afterward), it’s not easy to leave your parents while also honoring them.

Ten ideas for dealing with a wife who won’t “leave and cleave.”

How Lance and Jess Miller learned about God's plan for marriage.

Marriage builds a relationship like no other. Don't settle for less.

My prayers are with the royal couple as they face the challenge of living out the words of commitment, encouragement, and exhortation they heard during their wedding.

It takes a man to be an initiator.

Without a common foundation, the years of old age become the death years instead of the glow years.

Early in marriage it's important to look for something beautiful rather than focusing negatively on differences.

An automobile commercial provides an interesting reflection of the way many people view marriage today.

A couple married 55 years shares some of the best marriage advice my husband and I ever received.

Your love can mature and sweeten during the coming seasons of your marriage.

We now have the tools to make our marriage work, and we’re sharing them with others.

Readers share their honeymoon woes with us.

Bill and Geri Masuzzo are committed to helping engaged couples learn how to be married.

In my mind Bethany is still that little girl who was born with a dimple on her right cheek–just like mine.

The heart of a wedding is really a simple ceremony in which a man and woman pledge their lives to each other.

Little else occupied my mind in the weeks leading up to my youngest daughter's wedding

Even after all the preparation Merry and I had for marriage, there are some important things that we did not fully understand.

Confronting cohabitation in my church.

Whatever you say about the state of marriage today, one thing is sure: Most people get married at some point in their lives. I’ve found that the period before the wedding is a key time for the church to connect with these couples. Think about it: They usually need a pastor to perform the ceremony, and they want to […]

A soul mate isn't someone you discover; it's someone you intentionally and prayerfully become.

Notes from the day my daughter, Rebecca, married Jake Mutz

Your spiritual compatibility will influence the quality of your future marriage more than any other factor.

There are some non-negotiables that our daughters must look for in a prospective husband.

I saw God's plan for marriage first hand as I walked my daughter down the aisle.

Weddings today are being seen more as a social affair than as a public declaration of the lifelong union of one man and one woman.

Is there really much difference between the weddings in Las Vegas chapels and those that occur every week in many churches across America?

A wedding is not the completion of engagement but the beginning of a new life.

We spend weeks training our dogs how to sit and heel, yet, when it comes to marriage, we leave our children to fend for themselves.

It’s important to learn God’s view on children.

Three powerful influences work together to drive many married couples over the financial cliff.

When you marry, it's important to step away from depending on your parents for your livelihood and emotional support and depend on each other instead.

Much to my surprise, I realized God was calling me to be faithful, not single.

The key to making marriage work—and what sets it apart from cohabitation—is commitment.

The biggest decision you'll make outside of choosing to accept Jesus Christ as Savior.

Though obedience to God can be difficult, it’s always worth it.

Most people never take the time to approach dating, let alone the quest for a mate, with such care and purpose.

What should you look for in a future spouse?

When you are searching for the person who will join you in building a lifelong marriage, what really matters is character.

Sometimes a ‘season of singleness’ helps you grow in your most important relationship … if you do it right.

Marriage Memo readers respond with their creative proposals.

Love, joy, and crickets.