Congratulations!!!! If you are one of the many couples who are celebrating getting engaged over New Year or Valentines Weekend,  this is a wonderfully happy occasion for you as a couple, your friends and family and a time for celebrating and looking forward to the future together.  Be sure to enjoy this time before getting involved in the excitement of planning the details of a wedding day.  It can be easy to get carried away and start thinking about wedding plans so it is important to relax and enjoy this special time for everyone.

When you do sit down to discuss plans for your wedding day be sure to decide on two most important items straight away.

The first one is making the decision on the type of wedding you want as a couple and setting the date.

If that decision is a Church Wedding then important decision number two is booking the church and wedding reception venue.  If you have your heart set on getting married in your local church then make sure to make an appointment to meet with the local priest and make preliminary arrangements as soon as possible.  Couples need to give at least three months notice to the church of their intention to get married but it is best to check church availability well ahead of time.  This will avoid massive disappointment later if you have your wedding reception venue booked and the church is not available.

(i) Set the date and plan the type of wedding you want

(ii) Book the church and the venue for the reception

When you make these decisions you can then look at the other key decisions such as what budget you can afford and booking your marriage preparation course.

There is no set time prior to your wedding to attend a marriage preparation course.  Many couples decide to book six/ninemonths beforehand.  Attending your marriage preparation course well in advance of the wedding allows couples the opportunity to relax and enjoy the experience well before the busy times as the big day approaches. You have been lucky enough to meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with; don’t leave it to luck to make sure that your marriage is the best it can be. The ACCORD marriage preparation course will give you an opportunity to deepen your understanding of one another and of marriage; to talk privately with each other about hopes and dreams for the future and to ensure you are on the same page on the important issues such as:  being parents, handling conflict, values, roles and responsibilities, expectations of married life.

What some of our couples had to say:

Found the course overall very good, the activities were great and a fun way to discuss our hopes and plans as a married couple! Aine, Tipperary

I found the course was beneficial. I though the facilitators that conducted the course were fantastic and made the courseenjoyable and everyone feel very comfortable.  Grainne, Antrim

The course was very well organised and it actually gave time as a couple to think about what whe’re undertaking and it brought us more together.   Theresa McC, County Antrim

We had heard mixed reviews about pre marriage courses, and I was apprehensive before coming, I felt that if we learned one new thing, then it would be worth doing the course. In the end we both felt that we learned so much about ourselves and our relationship. I would highly recommend the course to others.  Anne and Rob, Co Dublin

For course information and useful tips for planning your wedding check out our website: http://www.accord.ie   - ACCORD Catholic Marriage Care Service.