OK marriage minute, 04/16/2009

              Prepare For Your Marriage, Not Just Your Wedding
Start your marriage right, with the skills to build a happy, healthy, life-long marriage.
The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative will present free, fun "Forever. For Real." workshops especially for engaged couples on May 2 in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
"Being engaged and preparing for marriage is such an exciting, unique time in a couple's relationship, but it's so easy to get caught up in all the plans that are being made for the big day and lose focus on what really matters," said Amanda Carter, an OMI community relations specialist. "This event will give couples who are in that special place a time to step away from the wedding planning for a few hours and focus on marriage planning."
The events will be held in Oklahoma City's Cox Convention Center and Tulsa's Stokely Event Center. Both events will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.
"We hope attendees walk away from these events feeling empowered with new skills, with the knowledge that they're in it for the long haul and with a sense that this is only the beginning," OMI Community Relations Specialist Alicia Clark said. "The simple fact that couples who attend on May 2 are open to learn and gain new skills and put work into their relationship is a huge sign at this stage in the game."