


Wedding Dates to Avoid and Dates to Consider
Marriage PreparationFirst Things First: Choosing Your Wedding Day
Be honest, you have most likely had the ‘when’ and ‘where’ picked out for your big-day for about as long as you can remember. Am I right? Yes, of course, and so have I! We’ll save the…

Can we get married during Lent in the Catholic Church?
Helpful Information, Marriage PreparationFirst of all, congratulations on your engagement and soon coming wedding! What a very exciting, sacramental, and beautiful event in your life. Standing before God and man reciting your vows to your beloved is one of the most profound moments…

What do Ash Wednesday and Lent mean?
Helpful Information'Tis the season...Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season are upon us! No matter what your religious affiliations or beliefs are, have you ever wondered or needed a fresh description of what it all means and its purpose? If your answer is, "yes",…

"That they Might Be One": Ecumenical Marriages
Marriage Preparation, Married Life, Relationship TipsWhen a Catholic and a non-Catholic marry one another, obvious differences in doctrine, worship, or personal piety inevitably lead to tension. So how can an ecumenical marriage thrive?
You were drawn to this person in particular, not their religion…

Everyone Needs A Cheerleader!
Relationship TipsWe can’t deny that there is an abundance of negative talk and images out there today. Although there may be much truth in it all, we often miss that there is truly just as much, if not more, positive all around us.
Within all of the positivity,…

New Money Matters Segment
NewsThe Marriage Group is excited to announce a brand new Money Matters segment to its popular online marriage prep class, Living Our Faith in Love™!
Introducing Michelle Shepley, Vice President and Senior Mortgage Sales Manager of a regional…

The Newlywed's Guide To Talking About Investments
Married Life, Relationship TipsMoney is one of the most common causes of friction during the first year of marriage. When you first enter into a union it is important to discuss money matters, but you might be wondering: what kind of personal finances should I bring up?
Your…

Marriage Prep During the Christmas Season
NewsMerry Christmas to our parish and diocesan partners all around the country!
We just wanted to send out a quick reminder about one of the challenges and blessings during the Christmas/Advent season as it relates to preparing engaged couples…

Staying out of the Deep End: Tips for Engagement Happiness
Marriage Preparation, Relationship TipsWhen you take the ultimate commitment plunge – getting engaged, there are an increasing number of deep waterways you may have to navigate together. To name a few, there’s adjusting to your new relationship status, making decisions together,…

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - The Pros and Cons of Getting Married Abroad
Marriage PreparationWith 21% of Americans choosing to marry abroad in 2015, the destination wedding is becoming more attractive in the face of the increasing cost of domestic weddings. Apart from the financial benefits, couples may also envisage the beautiful wedding…

Free eBook: Meeting Today's Churchgoers Online
UncategorizedWe are offering a free eBook on how to effectively communicate with your parishioners and attendees outside of the Church.
Based on our previous blog post, you will learn to use Social Media, Email Newsletters, Surveys, Videos, and Live Streaming…

A Brief History of Marriage: 1960s-Present
Married LifeMarriage has a long history, originating before written records, possibly during the Stone Age. However, as cultural norms shift, so too has the definition and nature of marriage. It wasn't until the fall of the Romans that the Catholic Church…

How to Limit Your Wedding Guest List Without Hurting Peoples' Feelings
Marriage PreparationWeddings are such wonderful times, especially for the bride and groom, who are celebrating their decision to become one. But, planning a wedding is not always fun, and there is quite a bit of bureaucracy behind preparing for such a major event.…

One Marriage, One Income.
Married Life, Relationship Tips'For richer, for poorer'.... it's right there in the traditional marriage vows, but how many of us consider the consequences of actually living it out in the real world? The sad statistic is that up to 50% of marriages end in divorce, with finances…

Adjusting Expectations in the First Weeks and Months of Marriage
Marriage Preparation, Married Life, Relationship TipsThe newlywed period is an exciting time – not only are you still coming down from the buzz of your wedding and all its associated events, you are also getting to know your partner as husband and wife. While this time can be blissful, it can…

Staying Committed in the Social Media Age
Relationship TipsSocial media is a wonderful tool to use for connecting with friends, family, and loved ones, who may not otherwise be able to connect. Along with that freedom comes a good deal of self-discipline to be able to use appropriately and responsibly,…

Demo the Course in 5 Minutes!
NewsGreetings! Gordon Whitney here, one of the producers for The Marriage Group, and I wanted to introduce the latest addition to our popular online marriage prep course, Living Our Faith in Love: The Walkthrough Video.
With this 5 minute walkthrough,…

5 Best Wedding Planning Apps
Marriage PreparationPlanning your wedding is such a joyous time, but it can be a stressful one, especially when you truly just want everything to be perfect. Not only will you be thinking about all of your guests (what they will do, what they will eat and how they…

Church Outside of Church: Truly Meeting Today's Churchgoers Where They Are.
Helpful InformationTruly meeting today's churchgoers where they are should never mean compromising your message in order to be "hip" and "cool" (oh, how cringeworthy those buzz words are...).
That being said, we cannot deny that times are changing, especially…

An Introduction to and Benefits of Online Learning
Helpful InformationToday, more and more people are embracing the benefits of e-learning. “E-learning” or “online learning” refers to any education that takes place via electronic media. This is most commonly done through the internet. E-learning is appealing…

On-Screen Captioning Enhances Course Experiences
News
The Marriage Group has enhanced its popular online Catholic marriage prep class, Living Our Faith in Love, and NFP Life: An Introduction to Natural Family Planning, with the addition of on-screen captioning in both English and Spanish.
Just…

What is Natural Family Planning (NFP)?
Natural Family PlanningNatural Family Planning is a method of planning your family in a natural way that respects the Catholic Church, but allows you to manage your fertility. Without using harmful drugs that provide a barrier to the connection with your spouse, natural…

Marriage Prep Courses For Modern Couples
Marriage PreparationMeeting Catholic Church Requirements
Young couples today desire accessible, convenient, uplifting, and modern ways of doing things. When planning to marry in the Catholic Church, demands are no different.
That’s why The Marriage Group…

How do you get married in the Catholic Church?
Marriage Preparation
Finding a partner to share the rest of your life with is a blessing. If you’ve recently gotten engaged and are planning to take your marriage vows in the Catholic Church, there are a few steps to doing so. Catholics recognize marriage…

What is Pre-Cana in the Catholic Church?
Marriage PreparationCongratulations! You just got engaged and you are excited to begin planning your wedding. You've talked with your priest or deacon and they told you that you need to take a Pre-Cana course to be married in the parish. But what exactly is it?
Simply…

Announcing NFP Life: An introduction to Natural Family Planning
Natural Family Planning, NewsThe Marriage Group has been spreading the good news of natural family planning (NFP) through its Learn NFP Online brand since its launch in 2012. Since that time, thousands of women and couples have learned about the Billings Ovulation Method…