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In the euphoria of engagement and hubbub of wedding planning, brides and grooms avoid authentic conversations about the issues that eventually lead to almost half of all marriages ending in divorce.

The estimated 2.3 million pairs of American brides and grooms who will wed this year will spend, on average, $20,000 on their ceremonies and receptions — a large expenditure to create a memorable and festive event that will last for only five hours. Few couples, approximately three in 10, will participate in any form of premarital education. According to Ted Beasley, founder of YourPreMaritalCounseling.com, a few open and simple conversations between the bride and groom about difficult subjects can increase their chances of not becoming a divorce statistic.

A review of 23 longitudinal studies found that premarital counseling reduces the risk of divorce by 31 percent. Marriage preparation, whether it is in the form of counseling with a therapist or clergy member or simply in the form of the bride and groom reading a book together, creates the most important habit of a successful marriage: communication. “Engagement is actually the perfect time to talk about all of the hard subjects. You’re already committed to the marriage. There are obviously no deal-breakers, so why not be honest about some of your areas of disagreement?” commented Beasley.

The most important financial investment an engaged couple can make is premarital education…so check out our one-day program.