One barrier which may prevent a marriage between an atheist and a theist from working are the issues of respect and tolerance. Without them, it is difficult for any relationship to survive; when fundamental matters like the existence of god(s) are involved, they become even more critical.
Obviously it is not necessary for a married couple to agree on everything — if they did, the marriage would probably end up very boring, intellectually speaking. Instead, what we are talking about is a willingness not just to agree to disagree, but also to agree that the other person isn't evil or stupid for the position they have adopted but you have rejected.
Your partner might be mistaken and they might not be rational about it, but they should not be treated as if that mistake is for anything other than honest and fair reasons. After all, you aren't perfect either and there are surely things you are mistaken about or ideas which you have adopted for less than perfectly rational reasons.
A very important aspect of this is not spending all your time trying to convert one another. Exploring differences is certainly good and there is nothing wrong with debating the issues where you disagree, but going to great lengths to try to change the other person is often a bad idea no matter what the topic.
When it comes to theism or religion, trying to change your spouse is likely among the worst goals you can have. It makes much more sense to focus on what you already have in common rather than trying to manufacture new agreements. If you love a person, you should love them for who they are rather than for who you wish they would become after you have had some time to work on them.
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