The night that Sharon and Bill met, at a birthday party for someone neither one of them can quite remember, Sharon went home and called her best friend: “I met this guy tonight, I think I’m going to marry him.” Her friend wasn’t convinced. “Do you even know his last name?” Sharon didn’t see this as a problem. “Nope,” she said, “His name is Bill.”

Since that night, the pair can actually count the number of times they’ve fought! Despite only a few arguments in seventeen years, some of them have been lessons in what their marriage would be like. In the heat of an early argument, Sharon remembers saying to Bill, “Whatever I do has nothing to do with you!” And after she said it, she says she burst out laughing at the absurdity of her statement. Bill says they have referenced the outcome of that argument throughout the years: “Everything that happens, happens to both of you.”

Having struggled with infertility for the past several years, Bill and Sharon are now considering what life together will be like without children, which isn’t what they envisioned. But they’ve come at the situation with the same grace and practicality as they have with those rare fights – looking for the nugget of knowledge that can help inform their relationship in the future. As they face what can be a heartbreaking challenge, they try to remind each other that “the fact that you’re a couple needs to be enough.”

What great advice for couples planning their weddings today, to simply remember that when life takes unexpected turns, one of the best ways to get through is to remind each other that together, you’re enough.

“Snapshot of a Marriage” is a series from contributor Emily Westbrooks, who interviews couples on some of their secrets for a strong and successful marriage. With all of our focus on how to make your wedding special, we thought it was important to highlight some ways to make your marriage awesome, too! Click here to see previous Snapshots.

SNAPSHOT SUBMISSIONS  Do you know a married couple whose relationship you admire? Or maybe you’re married and want to share your words of wisdom! We’re now accepting submissions from couples who have been married for ten years or longer. Email Emily at [email protected] with your first names, how long you’ve been married, and a few sentences about why you’d like to be interviewed for our Snapshot of a Marriage series.