As I enter into the wedding industry, I have had lots of time to focus on the profound ideals of marriage, engagement, even dating relationships with a long-term goal. Wedding photography has to mean more to me than taking beautiful portraits at some fancy event… I am capturing something sacred — two people committing their lives to one another in front of God and their loved ones.

It’s a long walk to the aisle. What I mean by that is many of us have a lot of life that is lived before we say “I do” to our life partner. It’s important to know how to navigate the seasons before marriage in order to set up our marriages for success post-ceremony. I want to be the kind of vendor that invests in my couples through more than just providing quality service and pretty images. I want to invest in their lives and their marriage in the short time that I have with them.

I’m no relationship expert, and I am not married. But I do spend a lot of time absorbing uplifting input and information from some really great resources! I spend a lot of time listening to and talking with people who have a lot of great things to say about relationships and marriage — people like my pastor, Ben Stuart; my close friend and counselor, Janice; authors like Jackie Kendall, Marshall Segal, and Matt Chandler; and more.

Instead of starting this blog series by repeating a lot of things I read in a book or heard in a podcast, I want to make my first post one that you can use to find these resources and enjoy them yourselves. Whether you’re someone who learns best by listening to a podcast, reading a book, or watching a sermon, here are all the resources I’ve been consuming in the past year (plus).

My Favorite Relationship Books:

For Singles + Dating:

• Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness & Dating
• [The New] Lady in Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right
• The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After

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For All Stages:

• The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption
• Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age
• 31 Prayers For My Future Husband: Preparing My Heart for Marriage by Praying for Him

My Favorite Relationship Podcasts:

• The Porch:
  Fantasy Love
  Fantasy Girl
  Fantasy Guy
  Fantasy Marriage
• Watermark Community Church: Relationship Goals
• The Refined Collective Podcast: The Dudes Series
  The #1 Reason He’s Not Asking You Out (it’s not what you think) The Dudes Series #1 with Jamal Miller
  How To Let Him Know You’re Interested Without Feeling Like You’re Taking The Reigns. The Dudes Series #2 with Jarod Nickerson
  Can Men + Women Be Just Friends? The Dudes Series #3 with Ben Stuart
  The #1 Way to Know If He’s Into You // The Dudes Series #4
  How to Create a Culture of Honor in Dating // The Dudes Series #5

My Favorite Relationship Videos:

• Passion City Church DC: Single, Dating, Engaged, Married Series
• Jefferson Bethke: Dating and Relationship Advice
• Jefferson Bethke: Marriage Advice
• Liberty University Convocation: Jon Tyson on Singleness