Premarital Counseling: Premarital Counselors, Premarital Classes, Premarital Inventory and more!

Send this article to your fiance(e) to discuss your options!

Welcome to the premarital counseling section of The First Dance. There are many ways to strengthen your upcoming marriage. We are proud to present a wide variety of premarital counseling options from generic and very affordable to more personalized.

Premarital Counseling Options	Low Cost	Personalized
Take Back Your Wedding book (free downloads of 2 chapters)	yes	no
PREPARE Couple Check-Up	yes	yes
Wedding Classes	varies	no
Premarital Classes (including our own new telephone based, nationwide class!)	varies	no
Wedding Stress Coaching	yes	yes
Premarital Counseling (one on one with a counselor)	no	yes

Low cost, low intensity premarital counseling:

Take Back Your Wedding: Managing the People Stress of Wedding Planning is a book that came out of co-founder Elizabeth's experiences with the bad advice out there on the complex family and friendship dynamics of wedding planning. Married four years now, she wishes she knew then what she knows now in this book and still uses the principles in the book all the time. It's a quick read and packed with wisdom you just don't find anywhere - in a non-smarmy, intelligent way with many good laughs. We have two chapters for free download.

Low cost, low intensity, personalized:
PREPARE/ Enrich Couple Checkup is the best option if your spouse is hesitant about traditional counseling, you are not connected to a church to take a class, or you don't have the money for personalized premarital counseling. Our PREPARE/Enrich Couple-Checkup is the inventory used by millions of couples around the planet with over 30 years of research to back it up. You and your fiancé(e) take the inventory separately then your answers are scored and you are shown your areas of strength and areas of growth (we all have 'em!) If you also want to go to a premarital counselor, may use the Couple Inventory as part of the standard 3-4 sessions. The counselors’ version is slightly different; you wouldn't want to take both. You could also take your personalized report to your pastor or a premarital counselor for futher discussion.

Low cost, low intensity premarital counseling:

We have created a one-time 2 hour class out of our book. This is available across the nation following this link . Please let your marriage educator know of us so they can consider adding the class to their curriculum. We know you'll have fun and learn some useful things in the midst of your wedding planning. It isn't intense because you only talk with your fiancé(e) about what's going on and then share only what you wish in the group.

We are also in the process of adding established premarital classes separate from our material that you can sign up for. Outside of required religious classes there are many marriage education resource centers, lay people and counselors who offer group classes.

Low cost, medium intensity premarital counseling (New and growing) :

Take a premarital education class! These are in group formats and while you have conversations as a couple you are never required to share anything to the group about your private relationship. These classes are lead by a variety of people from lay leaders to clergy, wedding coordinators in churches, to marriage counselors. They cover all the solid information that you will need to launch a good marriage in a fun setting where you can get to know other engaged couples.

Our NEW CLASS is nationwide, telephone based and doesn't require both the bride and groom (it's highly recommended but not required. Learn more here!)

Personalized wedding stress counseling

Wedding Stress Coaching, a service offered by marriage counselors-in-training, we can help you with your "people problems" related to wedding planning. This could include helping you figure out what exactly is going on, how to talk with a difficult family member, or work on your relationship around wedding planning stress. Discounts for having more than one person on the call (since problems are always more than one person!)

Personalized premarital counseling:

We have an elite list of highly experienced, licensed marriage therapists through a national marriage therapy directory co-founded by Bill Doherty. We are adding more premarital counselors outside this listing to help you find someone in your area at all price ranges (licensed therapists often, but not always, charge more than credentialed premarital counselors without a license.)

- Elizabeth Doherty Thomas, is a co-founder of The First Dance, along with Marriage and Family therapist father Dr. William J. Doherty. The First Dance was a Modern Bride Trendsetter award winner in 2007 for taking on the complex family dynamics of wedding planning. Visit The First Dance for more advice on working through the people stresses of wedding planning as a couple, with your families, and how to strengthen your upcoming marriage through this enormous first task of married life.

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"As a wedding planner I will recommend it to all of my clients. As someone already married, I wish I had it before my wedding! If "What to Expect..." is given to every newly-pregnant woman, then "Take Back Your Wedding" should be given to every newly-engaged couple.

Amanda Niemotka
Amanda Events Owner/ Professional Wedding Coordinator

Join over 2 million other couples now online, under $30, in the comfort of your home! This is the perfect option for those hesitant about traditional premarital counseling.