I recently went to a wedding. And, while I love all weddings, this one really special.
Not only was it beautiful because of the gorgeous location and the love of this fantastic couple, but it stood out to me because of what the officiant told them.
Now, this was not your typical officiant. This was a close friend of the bride who, specifically for this wedding, received his certificate to be a wedding officiant online.
But, despite his lack of experience as an ordained officiant, he had, by far, some of the best marriage advice ever!
As a married man himself, his words came from a place of experience and wisdom.
I just wanted to share with you some of what he said. Maybe you will find his words as valuable as I did.
“When we think about the perfect marriage, we often think of the good times, of happiness, of laughter, and of growing old together.
And while those are parts of a marriage, they’re not the whole picture. They’re just the bright spots. . . The true strength of a marriage is forged during the dark times.
Health is easy, but sickness is where you prove your commitment. Richer is fun. But poorer demands profound unity and understanding. All of the shared experiences and emotions will leave you vulnerable to each other in ways you’ve never been vulnerable to anyone.
And you will hurt one another, and learn to forgive one another, time and time again.
But over the years, all of that hard work will make your relationship stronger and your life richer. . .
You are both exactly who you were yesterday; and that is the person your new spouse fell in love with.
Remember that, and strive always to be the best version of that person you can be. Keep supporting one another to be that person you each fell in love with, and help each other to grow rather than to change.
Take time to stop and appreciate where you’ve been and where you’re going; but make a point of doing it together.
Remember to be kind to each other, just because. And remember to stop and appreciate those tender moments.
Remember that whether a thought is spoken or not, it is a real thing, and has powers of reality. Be mindful of your thoughts, honest in your actions, and gentle with your words.
And remember to work together to actively build the future you want for yourselves everyday.”
There you have it. Very wise words from a man named Seth offering some of the best marriage advice ever!
If these words are taken to heart, this marriage will be off to a great start.
I’m curious, what is the best marriage advice you ever received?
Tammy
Married and Naked
For more great marriage tips, visit my Happy Marriage Tips Pinterest board.
My mom gave me a ton of marriage advice. Maybe the most profound thing she ever said to me is that I couldn’t change my husband. That I needed to marry a man that I would be ok if he never changed. She told me to love him on the basis of who he was, not who I wanted him to be.
That is such amazing advice. Truly. It took me 13 years to learn that one. Makes all the difference in a marriage.
That’s not amazing advice. That’s common sense. Who in the hell would want to get married to someone that would want to change them. That’s why young people shouldn’t marry until they are older. They already know this information.
That is so wrong marry young with the understanding that u need to grow together as a couple not grow old that comes later such a stupid comment from someone that has been hurt . I married the mother of my 3 children and the love of my life. By far we don’t have a perfect marriage but I would not change it for the world the key to any success in life is communication so long as you do that there’s always hope. I think I am the only male to write on this page and I will admit I wish my wife was a stay at home mum but she isn’t, she works with me because I need her to but she still attends to the home duties , she treats me like her king ( until I piss her off lol) but she knows that I can’t look after the kids likes she does as I work 14-16 hours a day 7 days a week and she knows what I do I do for us as she has not got the opportunity or skills to do it ( please don’t take offence to this people I’m not trying to be sexist) work takes a toll on our family life but we work through it WE DONT GIVE UP that’s just to easy and easy isn’t lif or living. So if this helps any body I’m glad but it is the truth and it is a fairy tale MY FAIRYTALE
If you would have married when you were older and more financially secure, you’d actually be able to spend time with the babies you helped make instead of leaving your wife with the burden of helping you work and take care of the kids. Good job.
Thank you for sharing this. It is easy to get tripped up into thinking that there is something wrong with our marriage because we struggle in it. Struggle is part of the deal.
It certainly is. We all struggle. It is just a part of marriage. I think it’s important to share that side of things too. Not just the good stuff 🙂
Love this. It is so true that marriage is a commitment, but many people go into it only thinking about the good times to come.
The best advice I have received is to “stay on the same side of the net” – comparing marriage to tennis. Instead of treating each other as opponents when dealing with a challenge (the tennis ball), we need to stay on the same side of the net. It helps us re-frame disagreements and have healthier discussions when we remind ourselves of this concept.
Awesome advice. I love the comparison. Gives it a great visual.
Great advise. I have been married 25 years and I can tell you when you both put in the work and you both sacrifice for each other in a true love, it just keeps getting better and better. I can’t imagine how good it will be in 25 more years. Anyone getting married, take this advise seriously.
I agree! It does keep getting better and better. Thank you for sharing!
Loved this! And seriously amazing advice!!! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for taking a minute to let me know that you liked it. Really appreciate it.
Well that hit home. Not married. In a relationship though. And these words speak to me and my relationship dead on!
Same rules apply even if not married 🙂 I am so glad that they touched home for you!
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