When you write, please let us know
the date and time of your ceremony as well as
the state, city and location for your wedding.
Unity Minister-Officiant Services are provided by Unity Life Coaching and Sacred Gatherings, Inc.
Copyright ©2005-2012 by Carolyn Claiborne. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be copied, reproduced, translated, hosted, cached, distributed or otherwise used without prior written permission.
For more information
on the course or to
reserve your wedding date
Call (423) 636-1003
This is where MARRIAGE PREPARATION comes in.
$45
Donation
How do we save the $60 on our marriage license? Once you have spent at least 4 hours working with the Marriage Preparation Course, you will write brief answers to a few questions to confirm that you have used the course and return the 2-page form at the end to us by mail or email.
We will then send you your official notarized State of Tennessee Certification of Completion which you need to take with you and present to the County Clerk to receive the $60 discount on your marriage license.
What do we have to do in the course?
Once you receive your Marriage Preparation Course, you and your fiancé can look it over and choose which topics you need and want to talk about and select which exercises you want to complete.
Then you spend a minimum of 4 hours together talking and doing the exercises. Just remember:
YOU MUST SPEND A MINIMUM OF 4 HOURS
IN ORDER TO GET YOUR CERTIFICATE.
Many couples report that they spend far more than 4 hours because they can see the value in what they are doing and because a lot of the exercises are simply fun.
TAKE TIME FOR
MARRIAGE PREPARATION.
GIVE YOURSELVES & YOUR MARRIAGE
A FIRM FOUNDATION TO BUILD ON
FOR ALL THE YEARS TO COME.
In 2002 the Tennessee General Assembly, in recognition of the climbing divorce rate, took action to curb the trend by passing legislation designed to persuade couples to take additional time to strengthen their relationship before getting married. As a result, they raised the fee for a Tennessee Marriage License to approximately $100, but at the same time they also made a provision that couples who made the effort to complete four or more hours of premarital counseling by a certified course provider would be able to save $60 on the cost of their license.
For all of these reasons, this Premarital Preparation Course is highly recommended for couples everywhere. But in addition, for Tennessee residents, this course offers a substantial monetary benefit as well.
STRENGTHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND ALSO SAVE $60 ON YOUR TN MARRIAGE LICENSE
Now There Is a Practical Solution to Assist You.
Talking
Things
Through
Traditional Premarital Counseling can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people feel they simply cannot afford to do it. In addition, traditional counseling methods often require you to reveal your deepest thoughts and feelings not only to your fiancé but also to the counselor. Many people find this process extremely difficult and uncomfortable – often so much so that they avoid doing it altogether - even if the cost of counseling is well within their reach.
But there is GOOD NEWS! Reverend Carolyn Claiborne in cooperation with another ministerial colleague is pleased to present a very affordable Marriage Preparation Course which the two of you can do on your own in any setting that you choose.
The Marriage Preparation Course provides many ways for the two of you to learn more about each other individually and as a couple. As you work through the course together, if you discover any potential areas of disagreement, you will be able to talk them through. In addition, you will have the opportunity to learn and practice valuable relationship skills. And many of the exercises are intentionally designed to actually BE FUN!
How much does the course cost?
Anyone may get the ebook version of the Marriage Preparation Course by making a
$45 donation
to our ministry. If you are one of our wedding clients, please call us rather than purchasing the course through this page. Our wedding clients get an additional discount and may have the course for a $35 donation.
Of course, we hope you will truly recognize the time spent on the course as an investment in your relationship and your future life together. But don’t forget, you will receive a notarized certificate from us that will save you $60 on your TN Wedding license.
A WEDDING IS FOR A DAY.........................................A MARRIAGE IS FOR A LIFETIME.
Unfortunately, there are many things that can arise in day-to-day living that are potential causes of conflict. While there is no way you can possibly anticipate all of them, there are things you can do in advance to strengthen your relationship as a couple so that you will be able to weather the storms when they arise.
Or Real Life?
Happily Ever After ?
Preparation for Marriage
On their wedding day every couple expects they will be together for the rest of their lives. However, even the most exquisitely planned and experienced fairy tale wedding does not guarantee a life of marital bliss.
Everyone has heard and read about the rising divorce rates across the country. Over 40% of all first marriages end in divorce. The percentage is even higher for second or third marriages.
As you spend time right now with your fiancé and your heart continues to expand with love, it is all too easy to dismiss those statistics with the thought, “That could never happen to us. We love each other too much.”
Right now you are both probably very involved and caught up in all the details of preparing for your wedding which is indeed one of the most important and special days of your life. But as important and special as it is, it still lasts only a single day. Your marriage on the other hand is something you intend to last a lifetime. So a reasonable question to ask yourself is –
“How much time and effort have the two of us actually put into preparing for our marriage?”
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