Though the state of Utah does not
require couples to do so, engaging in some premarital counseling may be one of the best choices you make during the start of your new marriage. Even if you feel there are few or no problems in your relationship, consider how much fun some relationship-building activities could be, such as taking a retreat together in Utah’s awe-inspiring wilderness.
Utah’s Religious Connections
In addition to the state of Utah’s Mormon population, it is also brimming with other Christian and non-Christian religious groups, so finding a church or synagogue of your denomination should be as simple as looking in your local phone book or asking a friend or neighbor. The LDS churches will keep premarital counseling as a part of the wedding process within the church, as will many other religions. Therefore, if you have a connection with a local church, finding premarital counseling and marriage counseling should be as easy as asking your church official. Often,
your wedding officiant can also be your wedding counselor, both within the church and when you hire a private individual.
Seeking a Utah Wedding Counselor
If seeking a wedding counselor through your local church hasn’t worked out, or if you’d rather hire
a private individual, then check out all of the
licensed marriage counselors in your Utah region. Shopping around for a counselor is not a bad idea when you’ll be spilling your life’s story, so consider what type of counselor or counseling method would best suit you and your fiancée. Some couples have a gender preference or a preference for individual or group counseling. Different counselors use different methods; some are traditional and like talk therapy, and others are not. If a potential counselor doesn’t seem to suit your needs because they don’t use a process that you think will work for you, move on to another counseling type, such as a relationship-building retreat in Utah, whether guided or on your own.
Utah Wedding Counseling Retreats
Utah’s amazing landscapes are famous across the nation. Couples seeking some R&R to really get to know each other before the big day will not be disappointed with a Utah retreat, whether it’s in “the greatest snow on earth” or wandering canyons full of unimaginable rock formations. The LDS
“Magnify Your Marriage” retreats and seminars are said to be extremely purposeful, while the
Alaskan Inn in Ogden, Utah, hosts two-day marriage retreats which include group sessions with other participating couples and a licensed marriage counselor. At night, the couples can hide away in their individual cabins and enjoy breakfast brought to their bed the next morning. You don’t have to attend a structured counseling retreat to benefit from the humbling-nature of Utah’s landscapes, though. Planning your own premarital retreat may be an alternative (and possibly cheaper!) way to engage in relationship-building activities before your wedding day. Choose a trail or park that truly inspires you both, and set out on a brief journey of understanding with each other through the alpine wilderness or Utah’s Wild West. If you take a
list of fundamental marriage questions with you and attempt to work through them as you go along, by the time you return, your marriage, your bodies, and your mutual experience will be stronger for it.
