Search

Marriage KMI – Before Marriage

Before

MARRIAGE

When the Adventure of a Lifetime, Lasts a Lifetime

Ready to Wed

 Focus on the Family and Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley have assembled trusted Christian experts, Juli Slattery and Gary Chapman, for the new Ready to Wed™ Engaged Couples Curriculum. This easy-to-use resource is for those who mentor engaged couples and for pastors/churches who wish to use it for premarital counseling and Christian marriage preparation.

Featured Articles

A man and a woman are standing together at their wedding. The woman is wearing a floral headpiece and a white dress, while the man is dressed in a dark suit.

There’s a reason traditional marriage vows have endured for centuries. Take a close look at what they say.

Four friends, two men and two women, smiling and taking a selfie together. They sometimes wonder about the Bible's stance on if men and women can be friends.

The Billy Graham Rule: Can Men and Women Be Friends?

Can men and women be friends? In short, yes. But those friendships should come with boundaries. Opposite-sex friendships should be casual and not close. Always prioritize your relationship with your spouse and build shared social networks with him or her. Be mindful of your interactions and set guidelines for how you interact with opposite-sex friends.

Read More »

Featured Podcasts

Focus on the Family and Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley have assembled trusted Christian experts, Juli Slattery and Gary Chapman, for the new Ready to Wed™ Engaged Couples Curriculum. This easy-to-use resource is for those who mentor engaged couples and for pastors/churches who wish to use it for premarital counseling and Christian marriage preparation. 

Focus on the Family and Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley have assembled trusted Christian experts, Juli Slattery and Gary Chapman, for the new Ready to Wed™ Engaged Couples Curriculum. This easy-to-use resource is for those who mentor engaged couples and for pastors/churches who wish to use it for premarital counseling and Christian marriage preparation. 

Resources

Focus on the Family and Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley have assembled trusted Christian experts, Juli Slattery and Gary Chapman, for the new Ready to Wed™ Engaged Couples Curriculum. This easy-to-use resource is for those who mentor engaged couples and for pastors/churches who wish to use it for premarital counseling and Christian marriage preparation. 

Recent Marriage Articles

A young couple sitting together on a kitchen counter surrounded by moving boxes, unpacking and laughing as they settle into a new home while living together before marriage.

Cohabitation: Does it Help or Hurt?

Many couples today are asking whether they should live together before marriage. At a recent marriage conference, one young man asked Greg Smalley that very question — honestly, directly, and with a desire to do what’s right. His answer, shaped by Scripture, research, and decades of working with couples, offers a perspective most people never hear.

Dealing with Differences

How Birth Order Affects Your Marriage

Because of birth order, the place in their families of origin, spouses have different experiences growing up, and that shapes behavior, personalities and relationships with each other. Understanding how birth order affects how your spouse thinks and behaves can improve communication in your marriage.

Smiling couple holding hands on a forest trail, symbolizing unity, trust, and biblical leadership in relationships.
Biblical Manhood

What is Biblical Leadership in Marriage?

Ephesians 5:23 calls men to be leaders in the home. “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior” (ESV).

logo for Focus on the Family's online store

Resources to help your family thrive!