Pre-Marriage Counseling

Dear Internets,

Texas offers a discount on marriage licenses for couples who complete eight hours of pre-marital counseling through approved programs. (Here's the website, if you're interested in checking out the program.) Achilles heard about the program from the judge he works for, and I read about it on one of my favorite wedding-related blogs.

We were both interested in the classes, but weren't sure about the approved providers in the Austin area. Most of the providers were either religious, super expensive ($600 for a weekend pre-marital "retreat" at a conference center? Erm...), both religious and super expensive, or had maximum income requirements for participants.

Achilles is Jewish, but not particularly religious. I am non-religious. Even though we both have decent jobs, $600 would be a huge portion of our wedding budget. Secular and free sounded better to us.

I decided just to call one of the local providers to see if they could point me in the right direction. The program I called offers free, non-religious year-long relationship counseling to low income families. The woman I talked to was super friendly. As it turns out, they also occasionally offer an eight hour program for Twogether in Texas that Achilles and I can attend. It is free, and they provide a light breakfast and lunch.

(Free breakfast and lunch, you say? Sign us up!)

Their next class (and the last one they have planned for a while due to the holidays) is this Saturday. Achilles and I will have to miss the Texas vs. University of Central Florida football game (sorry Horns - we'll keep an eye on the score on our phones), but hopefully we'll learn something. I'll let you know how it goes.

Love,
Jane