CIRC Blog

How to adjust to married life, build a strong foundation, and survive your first year of marriage. – EVEN if you don’t know where to start.

Do you feel overwhelmed and completely unprepared for marriage? Are you worried about failing in your marriage, second-guessing your decision to even get married, or considering a divorce?
Do you want to have the best marriage you possibly can, but not sure where to start?

You are not alone.

It is easy to feel like you are the only newlywed struggling with married life; the frustrations, sadness, hopelessness, silent treatment, name calling, anxiety, disagreements, anger, disappointments, coping with new behavior discoveries, wondering if this is what marriage is supposed to be like, etc.

We know how you feel because we experienced these struggles after getting married too.

We have also listened to great married couples share their first year of marriage struggles on our podcast, The First Year Marriage Show, and countless others. So, we understand the problems you are facing and want to help you have a better marriage.

To be honest, the first year of marriage is the hardest year for most married couples. However, you can avoid the marriage problems newlyweds face every single day by reading this guide for newlyweds and engaged couples today.

We strongly believe this book will change your marriage.

Because the lessons come from our own first-hand experience and gleaned knowledge. We share our struggles and how we overcame adversity to build a strong foundation for the healthy, happy, and fulfilling marriage we have today.

In this First Year of Marriage book, you will learn:

1. How to transform your mindset from I into We.

2. How to build a safe environment for your marriage, so you can express your feelings and opinions without feeling judged.

3. Our simple and proven communication strategies that have helped many couples to communicate better.

4. Get a better idea of what is at the root of the issues troubling your marriage, and how to fix it.

5. The glue that holds your marriage together and what we did after one of us changed our faith.

6. How to be independent and interdependent without losing your identity.

7. How to connect and grow together as a couple. Plus the tools you need to strengthen and grow your marriage to its fullest potential.

8. Why it is important to create a vision for your marriage, and the four steps we used to create a vision our marriage.

9. Why your first year of marriage is critical to the success of your marriage.

And much more.

This is the book that we wished was out there when we first got married.

If you are a newlywed, engaged, looking to remarry or improve your marriage, this indispensable guide is for you. Filled with ideas you can apply immediately to your marriage.

Marriage counselors, coaches, educators, pastors and wedding officiants can also use this book for premarital counseling.

You can have the satisfying marriage you both desire.

Marriage does not have to be hard.

Practice everything we share in this newlyweds guide with your spouse, and you will both be heading towards a happy, healthy, and fulfilling marriage.

If you like reading books that are practical, easy to read and straightforward. Books you can instantly apply what you learn to your life, then you will enjoy reading this guide for newlyweds.

More importantly, read this book with your spouse, discuss the questions, and complete the workbook together. Then apply everything you learn to your marriage.

You wouldn’t build a million dollar home on a weak foundation. Why would you consider the same for your marriage?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Written like the transcript of a conversation between some of your best married buds.
— E. Ce Miller, Books Writer, Bustle.com
This book is about how to live through the first years of marriage. The book discusses many topics from money to intimacy, from communication to spirituality, and other aspects of marriage life. The experiences of the authors are also included which helps the reader get a profound view of the marriage life.
This book is written simply and in a way that the readers feel like discussing marriage life directly with the authors. The authors provide a helpful list of what the spouses need to discuss for every topic presented. After reading this book, the spouses will know how to understand each other better, to maintain communication, to grow together, and to get through the difficult times together.
This book is not only useful for the newlyweds, but also for everyone who is not married yet to help them to be a good husband or wife. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
— Fajriy (Reader, Goodreads.com )
Very reader-friendly and practical. The authors have made the book appeal to all cultures. The additional links and references are also very useful.
— Reader, Amazon.co.uk
This is a very compact self-help book which you can complete in one or two sittings.

I do not normally enjoy reading Marriage Self-help book as they are heavily based on God beliefs and not their own. Bible verses after verses and it’s so difficult for a non-Christian like me to even finish reading it.

What makes this book different for the rest is the unbiased stance from the writers and most pointers are what they have gone through in their marriage life.
— Jolene (Reader, Goodreads.com)
This book leaves nothing out. Want to create a solid marriage foundation for you to build upon? This is the book to use. Marcus and Ashley weave in personal stories and gentle advice. They carefully cover topics of finances, communication, sexuality, and more with a refreshing honesty. It’s not a book that will leave you feeling beat up and bruised as you navigate your relationship. It’s a book that is along for the ride. Truly a guide.
I particularly loved the chapter on creating a family theme. Not only was this applicable for me NOW, but I think newlyweds will appreciate the “vision board” mentality for the new family marriage creates. It was also perfect timing for that chapter as my husband and I had just discussed our family theme and goals the week before I read it!
This is the perfect book to give to engaged couples and newlyweds. It’s not the size of a textbook, but it is LOADED with easy to read and easy to apply the advice. We all know newlyweds or newly-engaged couples; grab this book for them!
— Bethany Armstrong, BookReviewMama.com, US
First Year of Marriage is well researched and they offer examples from their own marriage to assist deeper understanding of using their tools in real-world situations.

There are many books on the subject but some of them read like theorems conjured up in a laboratory. First Year of Marriage offers not only reading materials based on their research of their marriage and other peoples’ marriage, it is also your guidebook. Used as your self-guided written handbook within your own marriage, also a workbook to ultimately assist you in achieving your own specific handbook.