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Now that both of you have decided to tie the knot and spend the rest of your lives together, it seems like a dream come true. Yet, besides the wedding planning that will keep you busy in the days to come, there is more to think about in this marriage. Pre-wedding counselling is a wonderful platform for you to set goals for your marriage, clarify doubts you might have, and most importantly get to know your partner better. Here are ten programmes that would help set you on the right path towards a blissful and everlasting marriage.
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General Programmes
1. Cornerstone Community Services
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Cornerstone Community Services believes that marriage is more than just coming together as one, but also a commitment to keep things working. Cornerstone is one of the few agencies offering the Prevention & Relationship Enhancement Programme (PREP) rolled out by the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Through interactive activities and discussions with other couples, you can expect to be equipped with useful and meaningful tips on effective communication between you and your partner, management of conflicts and relationships with the in-laws. With lots of experience under their sleeves, you will definitely be in safe hands!
Cornerstone Community Services
Tel No: 6344 8063 / 6344 7321
Email: info@cornerstoneservices.org.sg
Address: 40 Ean Kiam Place Singapore 429125
2. Lutheran Community Care Services
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Offering both individual and group sessions, Lutheran Community Care Services’ key takeaway which makes them stand out from the rest would be working on oneself before working on the marriage. In addition to components like family and financial planning, managing responsibilities and expectations, Lutheran offers personality profiling to set you on a path of better self-understanding and discovery. Don’t worry if problems arise in the days ahead; you can always come back for advice even until six months into your marriage!
Lutheran Community Care Services
Tel No: (65) 6441 3906
Email: admin@lccs.org.sg
Address: 450 MacPherson Rd450 MacPherson Rd, Singapore 368170
3. Family Life Society
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For couples who prefer discussing their marriage in a more private setting, Family Life Society specialises in providing individual couple sessions. Discuss on issues that might occur within a marriage with their trained therapists in an intimate environment as they provide advice catered specially to your needs.
Family Life Society
Tel No: 65 6488 0278
Address: LG-01, 2 Highland Rd, Singapore 549102
Religious Organisations
Having religious guidance in your marriage may be the key step to maintaining a healthy and successful marriage, as well as weathering the storms together. Here are but some of the many religious organisations in Singapore that provide pre-wedding counselling programmes. If you are currently a regular member of any organisation, it is also good to check out if they have any ongoing courses that you can sign up for!
1. Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM)
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The ROMM provides a variety of marriage preparation programmes catered to the different needs of couples and different marriages. With courses available in both English and Malay, and in several accessible locations, the preparation programmes also seek to involve the families of you and your partner, as ROMM believes that they are important building blocks of a successful marriage. Of course, the ROMM is devoted to ensuring the sustenance of your marriage, and they do provide development support through the years of your marriage as well as information on relevant schemes and services.
Registry of Muslim Marriages
Tel No: 6337 0207
Address: 7 Canning Rise Singapore 179869
2. The Bible Church Singapore
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For Christians who would love to know how to nurture a God-centric marriage and how to cultivate loving relationships, The Bible Church is committed to guiding you both emotionally and spiritually. You may even wish to take a step further and continue with their enrichment courses after that, which provide couples with refreshing tips to ensure an everlasting and fulfilling marriage.
The Bible Church Singapore
Tel No: 65 6779 3255
Email: office@biblechurch.sg
Address: 152 West Coast Rd, Singapore 127370
3. Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore
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Many who have gone through the marriage preparation course organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore have sang its praises as it equipped them with enriching skills on communication and resolving conflicts in a constructive manner, which proved to be vital in setting the foundation of a successful marriage.
Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore
Tel No: 6895 1565
Email: archcomms@catholic.org.sg
Address: 31 Victoria Street Singapore 187997
4. Shan You Counselling Centre
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The marriage preparation programme by Shan You Counselling Centre aims to lay the foundation of a fulfilling and enriching married life for all couples by equipping them with fundamental skills like conflict management and building relationships with the in-laws. Shan You also encourages bringing up relevant issues to make the discussion a fruitful one, so get ready to gain as much insight as possible!
Shan You Counselling Centre
Tel No: (65) 6741 9293
Email: shanyou@shanyou.org.sg
Address: Block 5 Upper Boon Keng Road #02-15 Singapore 380005
Additional Courses
We have also compiled a list of organisations that not only provide the usual marriage preparation programmes, they organise sessions catered for couples who are of different nationalities and those who have found love again!
1. Careworks Community Services
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Other than providing one-to-one counselling sessions in a comfortable setting, Careworks has courses specially designed for people who have found love for the second time or for those who may be concerned about ethnic and cultural differences. By aligning their course topics to your needs, you are on your way to a smooth-sailing marriage!
Careworks Community Services
Tel No: 6293 4394
Email: ccs@cplink.org.sg
Address: 110 Race Course Road Singapore 218578
2. Care Corner Counselling Centre
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From bridging the cultural gap and giving advice on blended families, to addressing deep hidden worries and learning from past experiences, Care Corner understands all your needs. Besides learning the skills of communication and ways to ensure a happy marriage, having group discussions with other couples will help in making the path to marriage seem less daunting and more promising.
Care Corner Counselling Centre
Tel No: 6353-1180
Email: cccc@carecorner.org.sg
Address: Blk 62B Lorong 4 Toa Payoh #02-143 Singapore 312062
3. Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre (EMCC)
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With its course aptly titled ‘Beyond “I Do”’, EMCC is designed to address the many concerns of life after the wedding: finances, having children, and the many expectations of a marriage. Being equipped with the necessary skills would help you and your partner support each other better and work out your differences to come out even better and stronger.
Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre
Tel No: (65) 6788 8220
Email: reachus@emcc.org.sg
Address: 177 River Valley Road #05-19 Liang Court Singapore 179030
While pre-wedding counselling programmes may help in starting on the right foot for your marriage, it is definitely up to you to walk the talk and be committed in this lifelong decision with your partner. After all, no relationship is all sunshine, but two people can share one umbrella and survive together.
