How Can Premarital Counseling Help You With Planning Your Big Day
When you’re planning for a wedding, your mind is probably focused on things like floral arrangements and saying “yes” to the dress. Maybe you’ve thought about premarital counseling, but haven’t exactly connected the dots as to how it could actually help with planning your wedding.
There are many benefits to premarital counseling that will help you and your soon-to-be spouse for years to come. But, some of the benefits can also help you make adjustments to your wedding plans.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect from this type of counseling and how it can help you with the planning process.
What Is Premarital Counseling?
Premarital counseling can look different depending on your wants, needs, and who you see as a counselor. At its core, it’s a type of therapy designed to help couples before they make a lifetime commitment.
This type of counseling can help you set goals together as a couple. It can help you identify your core values — both personally and together — and it can help you resolve any underlying issues before you take the next step.
Even if you don’t think you “need” premarital counseling, you might be surprised by what you learn in just a few sessions.
What Are the Benefits?
Again, the benefits you’ll receive from premarital counseling are designed to help you throughout your marriage. You’ll learn more about yourself, and each other, and how you can work together to avoid discord and create harmony in your marriage.
Some of the biggest benefits include:
Better communication
A neutral setting to discuss the future
Setting realistic expectations
Addressing current and potential issues
Better understanding of yourself and your partner
In the midst of wedding planning, it’s easy to get distracted by the “fun” things. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re getting married with the intention of being together for a lifetime. The wedding is a great event to mark that commitment. But, it’s one day. Even if you think your relationship is perfect already, you’re likely to learn a lot about yourself, your partner, and what you both want for the future in counseling.
How Can Counseling Help With Your Wedding?
While wedding planning is fun and exciting, it can also feel overwhelming at times. Premarital counseling can help you and your partner get through it in a variety of ways. Improved communication skills can make a big difference. You’ll be able to effectively make decisions together based on your wants, needs, and your budget.
Speaking of the budget — it should come as no surprise that finances can become a source of contention in some marriages. Premarital counseling provides a space for you and your partner to discuss your financial goals, your spending habits, and more. The more open and honest you are about your finances now, the less likely they are to become a problem later.
This kind of counseling is also wonderful when it comes to helping you with decision-making. Wedding planning comes with a lot of decisions. You’ll be making many of them together for the first time as a couple. While things like cake flavors and floral colors might seem trivial, working together to make the decision that’s best for you as a couple is important. If one person is doing all of the leg work or making all of the choices, it could be an indicator that you’re not working as a team.
Premarital counseling isn’t just a formality or an obligation. It’s something that could truly benefit your marriage from day one. In fact, it could start benefitting you now as you plan your big day. If you have an interest in learning more or want to set up an appointment, feel free to contact us soon for premarital counseling.