Benefits of Marriage Preparation
Is marriage preparation effective? The overwhelming weight of scholarly research says yes! According to Dr. Jason Carroll and Dr. William J. Doherty, couples who participate in premarital programs experience a 30% increase in marital success over those who do not participate. They report improved communication, better conflict management skills, higher dedication to one's mate, greater emphasis on the positive aspects of a relationship, and improved overall relationship quality. These benefits appear to hold for six months to three years after the program is over. Research also shows that marriage preparation can help prevent divorce.
Participating in premarital education is both fun and informative. Couples learn many things about their future spouse that they never even thought about before. They often have eye-opening experiences that can be both enlightening and humorous. Premarital education also helps couples discover areas of disagreement before they get married. Sometimes these discussions uncover information and behaviors that will be destructive to the marriage relationship – critical information to know before marriage.