What Every Groom Needs to Know: The Most Important Year in a Man's Life

by Robert Wolgemuth, Mark DeVries

This is your guide to all the things that happen after “I do.”

The advice in this book to grooms is pretty simple. You don’t need to become an expert on women. Only one woman. Learn the secrets to loving and cherishing her. Take an honest look at your family of its unwritten codes, how it has shaped you, and the ways it affects your relationship with your wife. Learn how to speak each other’s “language” and appreciate the qualities each of you brings to your marriage.

Robert Wolgemuth and Mark DeVries offer a solid, approachable look at improving communication skills, secrets for a great sex life, budgeting basics, dealing with in-laws, navigating tough times, and much more. Above all, you’ll cultivate a spiritual unity that draws the two of you closer to each other as you draw closer to God.

Make this first year together as husband and wife what it was meant to the most important year in your life.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Robert Wolgemuth (1948-2026) was an American author who was the chairman of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Wolgemuth authored over 20 books and was in the publishing business for more than 40 years. Five of his books have received Silver Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. His best-selling books include She Calls Me Daddy and The Most Important Place on Earth.

Wolgemuth headed the literary agency Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc., which represents over 100 authors. He graduated with a degree in Biblical Literature from Taylor University in 1969, and received an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Humane Letters) from Taylor in 2005.

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of wisdom on topics you may not be considering about marriage, topics that are certainly going to come up once you're married or before marriage that shouldn't be ignored.

[Dan Domanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite book on marriage I've read so far. Incredibly practical, this short book is hinged on an interesting law in Deuteronomy: "If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married." From there, the author gives modern grooms some ideas for how to bring happiness to his new wife--meeting her needs, having spiritual unity, discussing money together, etc.

Even though there is a black book for the guys and a pink book for the ladies (which my wife enjoyed), this book isn't really about pointing out gender differences, at least not to the extent that I've seen in other Christian marriage/dating books ("Holding Hands, Holding Hearts," "When Sinners Say I Do"). If anything, the separation of the books is helpful just so that the author can shut down some of the common "wisdom" guys may have heard throughout their lives. The chapter on sex (misleadingly titled "Batter Up") points out how the baseball is a dumb analogy for sex.

There are a few cons. Like every book on marriage or dating written by men, there are some stories of military or sports origin that are meant to make a point, but I get kinda tired of them. And although the book has some great suggestions for changing your behavior or creating new habits in your life, at its worst the book seem to suggest if you change the behavior, you've changed the man. That sounds to me like what biblical counselors call "apple stapling": seeing unripe apple trees falling off the apple tree, and solving the problem by stapling the apples back on the tree.

Short and sweet, this appears to be one of the few Christian nonfiction books I've read where the author had the humility and wisdom to show the book to his friend and ask for his thoughts. As a result, this is one of the best-edited Christian books I've read.

[Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, this was a thought provoking book with plenty of insight! I came away with many new ideas of how to be a better husband and to do my part in our marriage. However, the only thing I would say I did not enjoy about this book was its delivery. It is almost too "manly man" at times relating everything to a baseball game or a defensive tackle. It's a good way to drive the point home but I fear lacks the seriousness of marital advice. All in all, I would recommend this book to a friend.

[John Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was pretty good. It's a quick read and would be a good tool to look back at later in marriage.