Civilly Married Couples

Catholic Marriage Preparation

We’re honored to journey with you as you prepare to receive the Sacrament of Marriage. Through virtue formation, accompaniment by local mentors of your choosing, and coaching from parish coordinators or Witness to Love Coaches, you’ll be equipped to become evangelizing spouses who share their light with the world. It is our mission to renew the Church through relationships by giving you lifelines to hold on to and not hoops to jump through!

Get Started

How it Works

We encourage you to invest at least 6 months in your future marriage and family. If you are getting married in the next 5 months, we invite you to discuss your options with your priest or deacon. Know that you are always welcome to go through the Witness to Love experience as newlyweds if you cannot make the time commitment before your wedding!

Scroll through the marriage preparation process below, including directions and suggestions.

Phase I

Initial Preparation

📍 Meet with parish priest or deacon

📍 Choose a mentor couple

📍 Complete the premarital inventory

📍 Attend coaching session with parish marriage coordinator

Phase II

Marriage Formation

📍 Register for a natural Family Planning course

📍 Monthly meetings with mentor couple

📍 Complete parish Scavenger Hunt activities

📍 Attend parish, diocesan or WTL Be More Retreat

📍 Theology Discussion Night with mentors and clergy

Phase III

Nuptial Mass Planning

⛪ Wedding Liturgy Planning with your priest or deacon

💍 Wedding Day

Phase IV

Post-Wedding Day

📍 Join parish Be Light small group marriage communities

📍 Continued accompaniment from mentors

📍 Thriving generations of marriages and families

Phase V

Civilization of Love

👩‍❤️‍👨 Mentor younger couples

🎁 Find other ways to use your gifts to serve your community

💻 Get ongoing support from Witness to Love through our online resources

Marriage Formation Pathways

We offer two pathways for a transformational marriage formation experience. You can work with your local Witness to Love parish or diocese, or we can do the coaching for you if you do not have a WTL parish nearby! Both options offer mentorship by local couples of your choosing and a connection to your parish for ongoing support.

Parish Coaching

Witness to Love is active in over 500 parishes in the U.S, Canada, and beyond. A trained Marriage Formation Coordinator, priest, or deacon will guide you (and your mentors) in your journey to the altar, giving you the necessary materials and digital tools, while making you feel a vital member of the community!

Online Coaching

Don't live near a Witness to Love parish? No worries! You can still benefit from our unique mentor-led, virtues-based approach. Our trained online coaches are here to guide you (and your mentors) in your marriage formation journey online. Simply click the button below to get started and order your materials, and one of our coaches will be in touch!

Begin the Virtual Pathway

About the Workbook

Sacramental Marriage Formation for Couples in Civil Unions

Each chapter contains “mountains to conquer” or common areas for growth in marriage, and “gear you will need” or virtues to support that growth. The online content are witness videos from real couples sharing their stories in one of these areas.

How to Choose a Mentor Couple

When choosing a mentor couple, think of a couple who:

Has been married in the Catholic Church for 5 years or more
Is actively practicing their faith
Has a marriage and family you both admire
Attends your current or future parish or the church where you will be getting married
Is not immediate family

Since we didn't have a sacramental marriage prior to our convalidation, we now fully understand the difference between the contract of our civil union and the covenant of our marriage in the Catholic church. Although we entered the Witness to Love Civil Marriage Initiative prep program with a strong, committed marriage we definitely grew in Trust, Forgiveness and Accountability as we went through our marriage preparation. Our marriage is stronger than ever.

Karl and Jill

Civilly Married Couple, Archdiocese of Seattle, WA

We feel stronger after going through Witness to Love as a married couple and want to re-read the book every year or so just to refresh and stay on top of keeping our marriage strong.

Aaron and Nicole

Mentor Couple, Archdiocese of Detroit, MI

The Witness to Love program has helped us create a bond of trust and we will always feel comfortable with our mentor couple. Our relationship has grown so much and they have made us feel so comfortable by being able to talk and discuss any question about marriage. We plan on keeping our meetings going and to have dinners together.

Dominique and Jose

WTL Couple, Diocese of Victoria, TX

Begin your journey!

Whether you choose parish or online coaching, both aim to empower couples to nurture and enrich their faith-filled relationships.

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