Marriage Preparation: A path to transform your relationship
Why it’s a good idea to prepare for a marriage?
There have been a number of studies from around the world that show that couples who invest in marriage preparation have a more robust relationship and statically a greater chance of marital stability.
Who is it marriage preparation for?
Any couple that are contemplating a traditional marriage based on Christian values.
It doesn’t matter how long a couple have been in a relationship, or how old they are, so long as they are committed to making it work.
Is it right for you?
Whether a couple has known each other for a short while, been engaged for months, or have already lived together for a number of years, they will benefit from the coaching.
We predominantly offer couple to couple coaching for those getting married – whether or not they are engaged. This is because the client couple will often enjoy the privacy that this service brings. It also means we can hone down the coaching to be specific to the couple’s individual needs.
However, we have in the past, led marriage preparation courses that do offer a level of education and support for groups of couples. We have held these in church halls, hotel function suites and even a privately hired café. If you are a leader interested in hiring us for this specifically, then please contact us.
Often the process of getting married is skewed almost exclusively towards preparing for a wedding and while the wedding is an important day it is relatively minor in relation to the marriage experience of the couple. We have helped dozens of couples that have been entrusted to us by vicars, pastors and ministers who do not have the time or pastoral experience / specialism to support them. Some couples will have unique challenges brought about from previous relationships and marriages, children and family dynamics that they bring into the new relationship.
Although there are many similarities, no one couple is identical to another so we normally recommend they have a free Zoom discovery call with us to get to know them a little and decide whether we are a good fit for each other.
How is it done?
Using a carefully researched, internationally acclaimed online questionnaire, the couple are helped to pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses. The online survey covers a variety of aspects of married life and the results are a snapshot in time of how a couple see their relationship. The questionnaire only takes 45 minutes and must be done separately. Although there is no pass or fail the results are collated to enable us to go through the couple’s responses. Depending on the responses and the way that the preparing couple interact, the coaching sessions can usually be completed in 1 – 2 sessions lasting approximately 2 – 4 hours. As a trained and experienced coaching couple, we facilitate deep and meaningful conversations between the client couple. Where couples are geographically close, we can meet with them in person, but alternatively with a reliable internet connection and steady video link we are able to achieve similar interactions online. (It is better if the client couple are turned in towards each other as we can observe the interaction between them.)
Our job is to identify potential differences between how the couple have responded to the questionnaire and ask further more incisive questions that help the couple gain better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and how to grow towards each other – building unity and intimacy.
Although, one might be sceptical as to the power of a questionnaire, we have been consistently surprised as to how fast it enables us to pin-point flash points and caution areas. The earlier these areas are worked through, the better the couple are able to find solutions with sustainable positive outcomes before bad cyclic habits take hold. If this sounds too much like counselling, it isn’t because it is focussed mostly on tools for the future rather than delving into the past.
It is not a test of compatibility but rather an opportunity for the engaged couple to be encouraged to discuss issues they may have overlooked in a safe environment. We believe that by completing this form of marriage preparation, a couple will give their marriage a firm foundation.
Many men do struggle with the concept of marriage preparation, but once they have actually experienced it they can see the value of it.
Although a little challenging for some, we have not had a single couple that hasn’t appreciated the focussed time and support that coaching brings.
To find out more please book a free non-obligation discovery call below.
How much does it cost?
Please see the services page for current prices.