 When preparing for marriage, couples often spend months of planning and large sums of money creating the perfect wedding. What happens after the flowers have wilted and the cake has been eaten? With most weddings being performed by clergy, there is a lot that faith communities can do to actively support strong, healthy, enduring marriages. Each person or organization can make their own decisions about how they can best support marriages within their own faith traditions. The Community Marriage Covenant does outline general steps that have been shown to be effective in starting couples off on the right foot, such as:
- Premarital counseling encourages the couple to have honest conversations about their relationship and their hopes for the future.
- Engagement seminars or workshops help couples learn valuable relationship skills in a non-threatening environment with other couples. These programs are often offered through the religious community or at community based resources such as the Family Life Council’s Marriage Resource Center .
- Mentoring couples provide support and guidance.
- Support for at least the first two years of marriage is essential. During this time, couples often experience stress, disillusionment, an are developing patterns of handling conflict that can be damaging to the relationship. Divorce rates are highest for the first few years of marriage.
The Community Marriage Covenant of Guilford County was created by a group of volunteers in Guilford County . Congregations sign the Covenant as a statement of their pledge to support marriages before and after the wedding. Each organization makes their own decisions as to best support healthy marriages within their own faith traditions. The Community Marriage Covenant does outline general steps that have been shown to be effective in starting couples off on the right foot.
Is your place of worship included? If not, start a discussion about what you and those around you can do. To view the Community Marriage Covenant or print out a copy to use to guide your discussions, click here.
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