Bride & Groom America 2016 | Page 192

AFTER THE Wedding PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE BY DR. LAURIE BETITO SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY GOES INTO PREPARING FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY. BUT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANNING AND PREPARATION THAT A MARRIAGE INVOLVES. Before walking down the aisle, you have to ask each other all the tough questions… hash out all the tough issues… not just what your colour scheme will be, or whom you will invite to the wedding. In a relationship, if you work hard at foreseeing potential problems between the two of you, the road ahead will be much smoother. It’s unfortunate that most young couples don’t invest enough time into preparing for their life together. In fact, only 10% of engaged couples invest the time needed to learn the skills they’ll need for marriage and that’s why I am a big advocate for 192 2016 preparation courses. So what are the issues you should discuss before the wedding? I’m talking about things like finances, careers, sexuality, kids and parenting styles, spirituality/religion, in-laws, etc. When it comes down to it many happy couples can seem wellmatched on the surface, but that’s only the beginning of the story. Those same couples may later discover that they have some fundamental differences on really important issues. Sidestepping those issues in the beginning won’t make them go away. They will resurface. I promise 2016 193