Recommended Books and Films

Recommended Books

Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Morag Prunty or Kate Kerrigan (same person)
An honest novel that depicts what a woman goes through as she learns to accept the man she married and redefines what real love is.

First Comes Marriage by Reva Seth

Why Talking Is Not Enough by Susan Page
The best book I know that views marriage as a spiritual path. Teaches very clearly how to take the high road during conflict and what it means to give.

The Truth About Love by Dr. Pat Love

How to create true love and addressing the fact that often times we fear what we want the most, especially when we get it.

101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married by Charlie and Linda Bloom
On the opportunities that marriage presents.

She and We by Robert Johnson
SHE explores the bride’s journey to consciousness and wholeness as seen through the myth of Psyche and Eros and WE dismantles the fantasy of romantic love so prevalent in Western culture.

The Yes Anxiety and Should I Get Married? by M. Blaine Smith
I haven’t read these but they’re often recommended on my message board. (I believe they have a Christian orientation.)

He’s Scared, She’s Scared: Understanding the Hidden Fears that Sabotage Your Relationshipby Stephen Carter and Julia Sokol

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
A beautiful story of how a woman¹s impending wedding sets her on a journey of unraveling the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship.

On Transitions

Transitions by William Bridges
A seminal book on understanding the three stages of transitions.

The Way of Transitions by William Bridges
Bridges’ most recent book which he wrote following the death of his wife. Beautiful, honest, informative – I cannot recommend it highly enough.

When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Directions for Life’s Sacred Questions by Sue Monk Kidd (author of The Secret Life of Bees)
There are so few books that write deeply about the spiritual process that often accompanies transitions known as “the dark night of the soul.” This is one of them.

The Rites of Passage by Arnold van Gennep
Gennep introduced the term “rite of passage” to Western culture following his anthropological studies of indigenous cultures worldwide.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche

Start Where You Are audio tape by Pema Chodron

Sitting by the Well audio tape by Marion Woodman

Recommended Films

Dinner with Friends
This funny and painfully honest film tells the story of two couples, long-time friends, who reevaluate their relationships when one marriage breaks up. Adapted from a play, the film contains powerful dialogue about the challenge, joys, and commitment of marriage and family.

Father of the Bride (1991)
A tear-jerker comedy about a father, played by Steve Martin, who has a hard time letting go of his daughter and admitting that she¹s grown up. It also depicts the stresses of planning a wedding, with the final message that weddings are really about two people who are deeply in love joining together as a family. A great film to watch if you have a close relationship with your dad  and great recommendation to him as well.

Monsoon Wedding
A beautiful and accurate depiction of the family dynamics that can explode and resolve as a wedding nears. This Indian film also portrays the elaborate, ancient, and meaningful rituals that brides, grooms, and their families participate in to help them gracefully move through the transition.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
A light-hearted yet insightful film about one woman¹s attempt to break away from her family¹s rules and regulations when she falls in love with a man outside her culture. The film delivers an important message about how to separate from family of origin and stand up for one¹s own needs in way that still invites family into the fold of the wedding and marriage.

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Less about a wedding than the novel, the film tells the story of a woman¹s need to explore her past (especially her relationship to her mother) before she can move forward with her wedding plans.

Walking and Talking
A story of the friendship between two women and the earthquake that erupts when one becomes engaged.

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