So you’re looking for premarital counseling books to brush up on before the big day?
It’s no surprise that most couples spend more time planning for their wedding than for their marriage. Marriage talk between an engaged couple might include topics of flowers, cake flavors, and honeymoon plans when the conversation should be on children, responsibilities, finances, and living arrangements.
Many engaged couples are using additional resources to start the conversation surrounding these more challenging premarital topics. You might choose to take an online relationship assessment, attend premarital counseling, or even read a premarital counseling book.
Reading a premarital counseling book together and actively discussing your thoughts might just be one of the best investments you can make towards your marriage.
11 Books to Read Before Getting Married
- First Year of Marriage: The Newlyweds Guide to Building a Strong Foundation and Adjusting to Married Life
- The First Year Marriage Show Podcast
- How To Avoid Falling In Love With a Jerk
- 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged
- Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts
- Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married
- Getting Ready for Marriage: A Practical Road Map for Your Journey Together
- Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting
- Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage
- The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
- From Me to We: A Premarital Guide for the Bride-and Groom-to-Be
First Year of Marriage: The Newlyweds Guide to Building a Strong Foundation and Adjusting to Married Life
by Marcus and Ashley Kusi
For the couple who is working on merging their lives and their mindsets from “I” to “We” and wants to create a firm foundation from the very beginning to start their marriage off on the right foot.
The First Year Marriage Show Podcast
by Marcus and Ashley Kusi
For those who prefer to listen to podcasts of premarital advice, rather than reading the book, comes The First Year Marriage Show podcast, solely dedicated to helping newlyweds navigate their first few years of marriage as smoothly as possible. Listen in iTunes.
How To Avoid Falling In Love With a Jerk
by John Van Epp
This book is multifunctional, meaning you don’t have to already be engaged to the love of your life to take away valuable life lessons! How To Avoid Falling In Love With a Jerk gives you the tools to identify whether or not a relationship is right for you and how that person you’re dating will act as a spouse. Give this pre-premarital book a read to help focus on the crucial characteristics of a loving, lasting relationship.
101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged
by H. Norman Wright
Did you know that 20% of all couples who become engaged this year will never make it to the altar? As humans, we get caught up in the feelings and romance, so much so that we sometime’s forget to take a step back and make sure we really know the person we are about to say “Yes!” to. Sit down for a session with relationship expert and couples counselor, Norm Wright, as he steers potential brides and grooms through a series of soul-searching questions to discern if they’ve really met “the One” or if they should take another look at their relationship.
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts
by Les Parrott and Leslie Parrott
Looking for a read for couples, by a couple? This is it. This book is more than just a book — it’s basically a cheaper, self-guided premarital counseling session to help you and yours build a lasting marriage.
Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married
by Gary Chapman
According to bestselling author and marriage counselor, Gary Chapman, “Most people spend far more time in preparation for their vocation than they do in preparation for marriage.” It’s no wonder the divorce rate hovers around fifty percent. Jumpstart the conversations in your relationship using the tips and wisdom from a marriage counselor with 35+ years of experience.
Getting Ready for Marriage: A Practical Road Map for Your Journey Together
by Jim Burns and Doug Fields
Use your engagement to plan for your marriage. Consider this book an early wedding present to you and your fiancé.
Communication in Marriage: How to Communicate with Your Spouse Without Fighting
by Marcus and Ashley Kusi
If you’re going to read any premarital counseling books before tying the knot, make sure this one is on your list. Communication is key in a marriage. Every relationship has its disagreements which can quickly turn into yelling, shouting, anger, frustration, rejection, resentment, interrupting, blaming, insults…you get the gist. A person’s ability to communicate, or lack of ability, could seriously injure a marriage. Before things get to that point, read through the advice of real-life husband and wife, Marcus and Ashley Kusi on how to better communicate without fighting.
Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage
by Rob Green
For the Christ-centered couple looking for a realistic, hopeful, and actionable read. Tying the Knot is broken into nine-sessions that guide couples through common marriage issues like conflict resolution, marriage expectations, communication, money, and intimacy, all while showing how each can be successfully resolved with Christ at the center of the marriage.
The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
by Dave Ramsey
Although not a premarital counseling book, we highly recommend adding this financial fitness book to your list. Money can be a huge stressor on a new marriage and Dave Ramsey’s book will help you learn to budget, pay off debt, and attain financial peace with your spouse.
From Me to We: A Premarital Guide for the Bride-and Groom-to-Be
Lucille Williams
This is a must-read for Christian and other religious couples. Lucille Williams’ guide covers forgiveness, communication, expectations, sex, money, and why you want to get married in the first place, all from a biblical perspective.
Engaged couples don’t need to wait till after the ceremony to seek help with couple troubles. Premarital counseling books can take your upcoming marriage from good to great.
Take the RELATE Assessment to gain deeper insights into your relationship and equip yourself with the tools to strengthen your bond.
