Amidst all the dress shopping, the linens picking, the food tasting, I always encourage couples to take a time-out from the planning and have a date night where they are not allowed to talk about the wedding and remember what this wedding is all about. Try to reconnect with each on a human level, not at a bridezilla vs. groomzilla level.
It is so important to work on the relationship/marriage part and sometimes, you lose sight of that. And unfortunately, hubby and I have seen a few friends get married and then divorced recently and we sometimes wonder if these couples might have benefited from pre-martial workshops and whether the issues that caused their divorce might have surfaced during such a workshop. Because we got married in the Catholic church, we had to go through pre-cana and even though we have a very open relationship and we discuss everything, we were glad to have a priest as a 3rd party when we talked about certain topics (because you know you can’t lie in front of a priest … ah catholic guilt!). Take a look and see if this opportunity might be for you.
Tying the Knot: A Pre-Marriage Workshop for Couples
If you are planning to marry or are considering engagement, come explore your relationship and the skills needed to handle the challenges that arise when couples share their lives. Jewish values and traditions provide a strong context for a safe and supportive group discussion. Topics to be covered include marital roles and expectations; religion and spirituality; personality differences; communication styles; managing conflict; decision-making skills; intimacy and finances; and social and leisure activities.
Tying the Knot is being offered at the JCC of Northern Virginia, the JCC of Greater Washington in Rockville and the Washington DCJCC. For specific dates and additional information, please visit www.jccnv.org, www.jccgw.org or www.washingtondcjcc.org.
Marriage workshops are really helpful, I really cannot recommend it enough! If there is one near your location, whether you are a single person or a couple, make sure to attend. It is so informative and a lot of fun as well.