My husband and I attended premarital counseling before we got married. Finding the right counselor was a process. We attended a few sessions with one counselor, and after that counselor made a comment I found offensive, we decided he wasn’t the best fit (actually, I decided for us). After lots of research and phone calls, we finally found another counselor. I liked him a … [Read more...]
Hands Down! 2 of the Most Important Skills Needed to Have a Happy Marriage
Dear Dr. Buckingham, I am having been dating my fiancée for a few years now and we recently started planning our wedding. She is a good woman and I want to start our marriage out on the right foot. I have read several of your articles on BMWK. You talk a lot about respect, good communication and trust. I agree that all these things are needed to have a great relationship, … [Read more...]
The Death of Pre-Marital Counseling…As You Know It
My wife and I recently celebrated our 18th year anniversary on October 10. Before we got married, we took two pre-marital counseling classes…one at my church (6 weeks) and another at her church (8 weeks). We both enjoyed the classes and found value in them. In fact, three years into our marriage, we started our Relationship Consulting business, originally called the … [Read more...]
Singles: 7 Practical Things You Need to Discuss Before Marriage
I knew my husband for years before we tied the knot. Yet, despite a longstanding friendship that later turned romantic, there are probably still a few basic discussions I wish we had before our wedding day. While some couples get caught in the romance of it all and marry without discussing too much, many couples actually do try to lay things out on the table and talk about a … [Read more...]
‘Til Death (or Drama) Do Us Part
As newlyweds, I think it’s important for us to take it upon ourselves to put in the work to continue to build on the pre-marital counseling my wife and I decided to get. It’s important to us that we are constantly thinking of ways to continue to work on our marriage, even though it is fresh and new. That said, I was in a group that we attend with other married couples and one … [Read more...]
Are You Planning for a Wedding or a Marriage?
People put an exorbitant amount of time, energy and money into planning their perfect wedding: The perfect flowers, the perfect dress, the perfect location(s), the perfect rings, the perfect hairdo, the perfect honeymoon, even the perfect people in terms of imagery (looks, size, hair and sadly, even skin tone) in order to capture what they might consider the perfect wedding … [Read more...]
A 4-Step Plan that Every Marriage Needs
You're probably no stranger to pre-marital counseling. Even if you didn't participate in it before you got married, you've heard about it and possibly considered it. So many couples spend a lot of time planning their wedding, but not enough couples spend time planning their marriage. Every marriage needs a plan. Do you realize that if you take your vows seriously and your … [Read more...]