'Marriage a Journey not a Destination.' This is the name given to the current ACCORD Marriage Preparation Course. ACCORD recognises that the couples who present for our courses are already on a journey. This is a journey of discovery which began the first time they met. It is a journey that combines two histories, two families and two distinct sets of expectations of marriage.

A Marriage Preparation Course is an opportunity for couples to take time out from the hectic planning of the Wedding Day; to focus on how things are between them; to affirm what is going well; and to name the areas of their relationship that might need some attention.

All of this takes place in the company of other couples preparing for Marriage and with the assistance of trained facilitators, themselves experienced in Marriage. ACCORD highlights the core elements of relationship and the course concentrates on exploring each of these.

ACCORD, the Catholic Marriage Care Service, is an agency of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.  ACCORD has 58 centres in the North and South of Ireland.  All volunteers undergo professional counselling training and/or facilitation training in advance of becoming members of ACCORD.  Every year ACCORD volunteers receive continuous professional developmental training and are in supervision.  For more information see www.accord.ie.

www.gettingmarried.ie, a 'one stop shop' for information on preparing  for marriage, provides a wedding booklet facility which allows couples to create their marriage booklet online, a task which many find challenging. There is also a frequently asked questions section and of particular interest are the essential steps in the marriage preparation journey which is available on the website in a timeline format.