Should you sign up for a marriage preparation workshop?

Whether you're dating or engaged, marriage preparation programmes will help you and your partner understand the many complex issues relating to marriage so that you will be mentally and emotionally prepared for life together as husband and wife.

Before filing notice of marriage at the Registry of Marriages, click on the 'resources' tab on the website to find a suitable course to attend. You can also visit Marriage Central to download a comprehensive prospectus of service providers including topics covered, duration, location and cost.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) — through its network of partners — organises, supports and provides marriage preparation courses and pre-marital counselling to couples. There are currently 24 service providers situated in various heartland districts, including volunteer welfare organisations and family service centres.

A typical workshop lasts between eight and 16 hours across a single or a few sessions, and is conducted by relationship experts who are regular married folk like Claire Nazar, a Families for Life council member and Marriage Preparation Course instructor.

Touch Community Services, a non-profit organisation run by the National Council of Social Service also offers marriage preparation courses run by husband-and-wife teams. Held in the comfort of these instructors' homes, the relaxed setting provides an informal learning environment for participants to understand more about issues pertinent to marriage. Topics covered during four weekend sessions include roles of husband and wife, family planning, conflict resolution, sexual intimacy, financial management and issues relating to in-laws.

Similarly, Focus on the Family Singapore offers a Connect 2 workshop held over two sessions that provides insightful and practical tips such as identifying each others differences and love languages, and how to engage in effective communication.

Catering to a growing number of interracial and transnational unions, Fei Yue Community Services and Care Corner now offer courses tailored to help married couples with foreign spouses integrate into their new community, understand cultural differences and adapt to the Singapore environment.

A typical marriage preparation programme can cost anywhere between $130 and $350. However, you will receive a $70 rebate once you have successfully completed the course.

Life after the wedding

While pre-marriage preparation courses help set you up for a happy and satisfying marriage, enrichment or refresher courses are helpful for those married for a few years.

"Even for married couples, no one can say there is nothing more to learn because we don't know everything," says Shelley Ee, who conducts a marriage refresher course called Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. It is a Catholic programme available in more than 91 countries worldwide and has been in Singapore for 35 years.

Some of the more common topics for married couples include parenting styles, attitudes towards work and family, understanding of self, listening and forgiveness, decision-making and more. Though the presenters are Catholics, the three-day two-night weekend retreat at Punggol held once a month is open to all married couples from any religion.