This post will describe what a couple can expect while preparing for premarital marriage counseling. This post is written from a faith-based, Christian perspective to know how to best prepare for and thrive during your counseling sessions.
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Preparing for Premarital Counseling: Step One
It’s likely that if you are preparing for marriage counseling and getting married in a church, your pastor, minister, or priest will ask that you join together with your spouse to be for counseling sessions. At least two to three sessions are a typical requirement, if there is one. There are several purposes for these sessions that we will outline below.
Getting to Know One Another
If you reach the stage to begin premarital counseling, of course you know your spouse to be. However, you will always continue to grow and get to know more and more about your spouse as you live and grow together. When you talk about how you met, what made you love the person you are going to marry, and how you got to this point you will learn that you get to know them even better than you did before.
It often helps to include a third person as you prepare for your wedding and by answering simple questions you will be amazed at how new conversations surface and you will learn things that you may not have known before. Your premarital counseling sessions are places where just that will happen. You will have even more to discuss that will help to set a firm foundation for your relationshp and marriage. Consider asking questions that you may have for your spouse that you didn’t think of before. You might find that you are inspired in new ways to ask new things.
Getting to Know Your Officiant
Another thing that you can expect when preparing for marriage counseling is that you will get to know your wedding officiant even better. They will also get to know you better. This relationship will inspire confidence in one another as they will help to answer questions about how to prepare for marriage from a spiritual and faith perspective. As the couple avails themselves to the advice, wisdom, and instruction that comes from the Christian faith tradition, you will trust one another more as you prepare for your special day.
It may seem informal or even pointless at times, but it’s not. Knowing who your marriage minister is and them knowing who you are is very important. It will also help everyone to be more at ease and reduce stress related to the ceremony.
Walking through your Premarital Assessment
A key element to your premarital counseling assessment. It is commonplace currently for your wedding pastor, minister, or officiant to ask that you consder a premarital assessment. For example, this is a survey that you will take indvidually from your spouse to answer important questions about your background and expectations for marriage. It will include elements that are financial, relational, include expectations about intimacy, personality, and similar answers.
The purpose of this assessment is to have a clearer viewpoint of where you are as a couple, where your strengths are, and how you ancicipate to live life together. The premarital assessment is invaluable and will help you to communicate more efficiently and be more understanding, charitable, and giving towards one another.
Preparing for Your Wedding Rehearsal
Another thing that you will want to prepare for in your premarital counseling is to discuss how to prepare for your wedding rehearsal. The wedding rehearsal is one of the most overlooked, yet important, parts of your wedding preparation. The rehearsal is where you decide how you will prepare to practice. In your counseling session, you can answer questions such as will you have family participate in the rehearsal along with your wedding party?
Are all of those available to participate in the rehearsal available to attend the rehearsal or will they need to be filled in on the details separately? And you can be sure to confirm that everyone knows how to get to the location, gain access to the facility, and confrm the start time and any other important information.
Preparing for Your Weddng Ceremony
Of course, one of the most important parts of premarital counseling and preparing for your marriage is also preparing for your wedding ceremony. You will spend a great deal of time during your sessions talking through your ceremony plans. Don’t be afraid to lift up any questions or concerns that you have. None are too big nor too small. Remember to remain prayerful and to talk to your spouse about any concerns you have. This time of preparation is the best practice you could ever ask for to get read for your life together.
