About Nashville Marriage Studio

Hi! I’m Marie.

I’m Marie McKinney Oates and this is the story of how a 25 year old newlywed thought she could change how young people got (and stayed) married…

2002 I broke up with a high school sweetheart during my sophomore year of college. A few months later I decided I wanted him back. Problem was that he didn’t want me back anymore. Color me devastated. No, seriously. I was heartbroken, depressed and only ate Chips Ahoy Chocolate Cookies for nearly 3 months.

For the rest of the semester I ignored all of my classes (I was in school to be an engineer at the time) and instead spent every evening in the library reading about relationships. I read every book at Tennessee Technological University that had anything to do with making your marriage work, intimacy, the psychology of attraction. I became obsessed with figuring out why we fall in love, how to deal with personality differences and (obviously) getting my boyfriend back.

And it worked. By the end of the Spring semester we were back together and life was good. I also realized that I wasn’t cut out to be an engineer and promptly changed my major to Psychology.

2005 After graduating from Tech the boyfriend became an ex-boyfriend again and I went on to Trevecca Nazarene University to get a Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy. I’m very serious when I say I am obsessed with all things relationship.

2008 I graduated with an M.M.F.T. and got married. With a diploma in my right hand and a wedding band on my left one, I looked around and asked (like many of you, I’m sure), “So… now what?”

My answer? Nashville Marriage Studio. I had read and studied all of the best marriage advice out there, and now I wanted to share it with young people at the beginning of their marriage journeys. I decided to use this blog to create entertaining and encouraging resources.

Today Nashville Marriage Studio consists of regular blog posts, a free weekly newsletter, and workshops  for your marriage. I want to encourage you (because marriage is a marathon that isn’t supposed to end), make you laugh (laughing is important, yo), be real with you, and give you tips (it’s what I learned in school) on how to make this marriage thing work.

Most importantly, I want you and your significant other to have fun while working on the marriage you’ve always dreamed of having.

Contact/Connect with Marie McKinney Oates

Seriously, call/email/text/Facebook/Tweet me with anything on your mind. I have seen way too many marriages fall apart because they didn’t have anyone to go to really hear them. I want to hear whatever you’ve got to say.