Another that religion encourages which hurts marriage is not living together until marriage. Living with someone is a huge step even if you love them more than anything, and it takes time to work the kinks out. I think anyone considering marriage should have a trial period of living together first.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell