Starting Your Marriage Right: What You Need to Know and Do in the Early Years to Make It Last a Lifetime

Different people require different messages. I coach a lot of young couples before marriage and in the early stages of marriage, and this is one of the books I recommend often. Although it's not for everyone, if you're serious about having the kind of marriage God wants you to have (and since He designed marriage, He probably knows best), then STARTING YOUR MARRIAGE RIGHT by Dennis Rainey (no relation), is one of the best. I recommend this book quite often because I'm well aware that many couples spend more time planning their wedding than they do planning their marriage. A lot of couples won't even read one book, but on the off chance that they will read a book from cover to cover, this is one I want most of my mentorees to read. I take notes on all of the books I read and in my journal of marriage books, I have far more pages of notes from this book than from any other. The fifty two chapters cover more topics than most. You'll find Biblically based advice here on a variety of topics such as understanding God's plan for your marriage, leaving your parents (this doesn't just mean living on your own), lifestyle choices, money, dealing with each others pasts, roles of husbands and wives, the romantic needs of husbands and wives, decision making, listening, handling the Holidays, and much more. If you're only going to read one book before, or in the early stages of your marriage, this is one I highly recommend. It may not have all the answers, but it is a wonderful place to start. Make God the focus of your marriage. Pray together everyday. Have a written marriage plan of what you want your marriage to be and review and revise it often, and read this book. You'll be off to a great start. Pastor Monty Rainey

I would completely disregard comments from the person who gave this book one star. Whatever that person said, I found completely opposite to be true about this book. I have been engaged with my fiancé for 6 months, and as we began reading this book together, each chapter dealt with our issues/problems. And chapters that did not really apply to us at the moment, helped us prepare for the future. I have also read bunch of other very good books on marriage, which helped as well. But if I had to choose a book of all the books I've read, I would choose this one. My sister just got married, and I just mailed it to her as one of the wedding gifts. It doesn't matter if you lived on your own or with parents before the marriage, this book helps both partners get on the same page. No matter how much you think you know, it won't help much unless both of you are on the same page, walking in the same direction and this book helps you with just that. We had some very serious issues that this book helped us solve. I would recommend it to all. Chapters here are short, so we read one chapter a day. it gave us all the necessary information to think about without overloading us. I completely agree with others who gave this book 5 stars, this is a must read.

A few months ago, I wasn't sure we would reach our 6 month anniversary. Things were pretty rough. Neither of us knew what to do. My wife came across this book on our bookshelf - it had been a wedding gift, but neither of us thought to really look at it. We began reading a chapter a night, completing the discussions and the activities. The discussions especially helped us, as we found that each of us had different expectations and misconceptions about our marriage. Today, we celebrate our 6 month anniversary, a happy day that neither of us was sure we'd see. We are thrilled. We would reccomend this book to any couple, newly married or struggling. Of course, unless both of you are willing to read it together, it may not benefit you at all. For us, however, it was a blessing. It's the only couple's book that we have found that addresses the needs of each of us. DEFINITELY GET THIS BOOK!

This is the most relevant book on marriage that I've ever read. I've been married for a year and a half and this book covered more things than our pre-marital counseling book did. A must have for all newlyweds. I appreciated that all discussions and suggestions were based on Scripture. Very good!

I have to say, this book has meant alot to us. We got married in December and each Sunday night we go thru one of the weekly devotions. They touch on lots of important issues to newlyweds like money, trust, sex, and in-laws. It has helped us to be able to talk about these issues alot more freely. After you read through the chapters there are discusion questions and recommendations for putting it into action. This is a must have. It's a great wedding present. Enjoy.