Guest Blog: Enjoy your wedding. Love your marriage.

Your wedding preparation and celebration are special stepping stones to your upcoming marriage — the most intimate and important relationship that you have with another person. StartMarriageRight.com is an online relationship resource dedicated to help guide you—whether you are single, engaged, or have already said your vows—be prepared for relationship with your spouse or future spouse.

With a “Best of” roundup, we want to share with you some of our most popular articles and blog posts.

If you’re single and it bothers you that your ring finger is still bare, does that distract you from enjoying life? We know that others can relate, so we came up with 4 tips for enjoying your single years. Some advice is to focus on growing and learning about being involved in a healthy relationship. On an epistolary note, and if you enjoy a touching letter as much as we do, we hope a letter filled with fatherly wisdom on finding a life partner will give you a boost of confidence. And if you ever think about the kind of partner you might want to have some day, ever thought of writing a letter to that person?

If you’re dating: Have you kissed a lot of frogs but no princes? Could it be that you’re looking in all the wrong places? Perhaps it’s time that you have a little heart-to-heart with yourself to rethink what finding “the one” means to you. If you’re in a dating relationship—and heading toward engagement— the search may seem to be over but the good hard work has just begun, from keeping the fire burning from a distance or staying connected when conflict ensues. This is the time for you and your boyfriend or girlfriend to really get to know each other. Try not to get too caught up in the romance of it all. It could blind you from truly seeing the other person’s character.

If you’re engaged and wedding planning: chances are you’re experiencing busyness and having to make many decisions with your fiancé. Try not to let the stress get the best of you but remember that engagement is a special time in your lives — enjoy it! As you prepare for your wedding, set aside time with your fiancé and agree that you will use that time to talk about your future marriage, rather than the wedding. One way to grow closer as a couple is to openly discuss what the two of you are learning in Premarital Counseling, including tough subjects like expectations, sex and finances.

So you made it! Your marriage journey has started. The ceremony is over, your new home is coming together nicely and you’re both back to work after taking some R&R. Now what? This is an important time for you and your spouse to work on communicating with the other. One of the best ways to do that is to be a better listener — rather than trying to get your point across. Seek to understand the other and remember that you’re on the same team. Remember, loving your spouse is not just about romance; it’s a choice.

-Shannon Roy, StartMarriageRight.com.