Ladies Home Journal
March 2004

The Wedding Gift That Keeps On Giving
By Francesca Di Meglio

Can't figure out what to give the bride and groom? Forget the china. Go for a gift certificate for a relationship course to help the newlyweds' marriage last a lifetime. That is exactly what Melissa Gonzalez's mom gave her and her fiancé as an engagement present, three years later, the Silver Spring, Maryland, pair continue to benefit from the communication skills they learned in Relationship Enhancement. "The wedding is fantasy," says Gonzalez. "The course teaches you about the real situations that’ll come up later."

Classes range widely in cost and content — from Equality in Marriage Institute’s $15 "Commitment Conversation," a workbook that couples can do at home, to the Gottman Institute's $495 weekend workshop on conflict and strategies for preventing divorce.

Although some people might be afraid the gift could offend the couple, it's usually well-received, says Diane Sollee, founder of smartmarriages.com, a clearinghouse for marriage courses. "People want to do something different from their parents, who probably went to therapy after the marriage got rocky."