The Marriage Preparation Course

What is it?

The Marriage Preparation Course is for any engaged couple who want to develop strong foundations for a lasting marriage. Over five evenings spent together you will learn important, practical tools to help you build the foundations for a lasting marriage

The Course was developed by Nicky and Sila Lee, co-authors of The Marriage Book which has sold over 150,000 copies. They have been married for over thirty years, have four children and are on the staff at Holy Trinity Brompton - the London church that started the Alpha course. They started The Marriage Preparation Course in 1985 and run the Course three times a year at Holy Trinity Brompton with around 160 couples on each course.

The course at Holy Trinity Rudgwick is led by Martin & Shäron who have been married for over 14 years and have been involved with marriage preparation for 4 years.

Over five sessions of the course you will discover practical tools to help you build the foundations for a lasting marriage. You will look at:

The importance of commitment
How to recognise and appreciate your differences
The art of communication
Resolving conflict
The importance of spending time together and nurturing your friendship
Making each other feel loved
Developing a good sexual relationship
The importance of talking about your goals, values and dreams

Who’s it for?

Are you engaged or seriously considering marriage?
Do you want to have the best possible start to your marriage?

If you answered yes to these questions then The Marriage Preparation Course is for you.

The Marriage Preparation Course is for any engaged couple who want to give their marriage the best possible start. It doesn't matter how long you have been engaged - some couples have set a wedding date, while others have not. Or if you have been living together and would like to explore the idea of getting married, or if one or both of you have been married before. Whilst the course is based on Christian principles, it is designed for all couples with or without a church background. You do not need to be getting married in a church to come on the course.

What can I expect?

The course takes place over five evenings. The evenings are very relaxed; a typical evening starts at 8pm and finishes by 10pm. Each session includes:

Refreshments – each evening starts with refreshments and a chance to get to know other couples on the course and catch up.
Practical talks that are informative and fun, presented via DVD. They include filmed clips of couples talking about their own experiences of marriage.
Discussion time as a couple. You will be given opportunities throughout each evening to discuss the issues raised with your fiancé(e) – Music is played so you can’t hear couples and they can’t hear you!
No group work, so relax - you will not have to share anything about your relationship with anyone else.
Homework - at the end of each session you are given some homework to do together. This will help you to build on what you have learnt and give you the opportunity to apply it to your relationship. Don't worry - it won't be marked! It isn't looked at by anyone else and is just for your own benefit.

What’s the cost?

There is no cost for the course

What people say

'So many couples spend so much time preparing for their wedding ceremony rather than preparing for their marriage. I commend all couples intending to get married to do this course.'

J. John, Author and Speaker

'Nicky and Sila Lee are great communicators and, most importantly, they are honest. And we need that: we need young people at the very beginning of their lives together to tackle issues honestly. I believe The Marriage Preparation Course is going to be an incredible resource in our nation. I recommend it with all my heart.'

Rob Parsons, Founder and Chairman of Care for the Family

What the couples say

‘I think the most beneficial section of The Marriage Preparation Course for us was learning about commitment and resolving conflict. In particular, taking time to spend with each other each week and the exercise in the resolving conflict section about how to resolve conflict constructively- that one has come out several times since!’

Emma & Tom

What next?

For more information about the course, to register or for an informal chat, please contact us.