|
First comes love, then comes marriage, and then, as some couples find out, comes divorce.
But Orange County is taking steps to try to bolster healthy unions.
Recently, a group of engaged couples participated in a two-day, six-hour marriage-preparation educational course, "Before You Tie the Knot," which was offered at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Services' Orange County extension education center.
"Everybody wonders why some marriages last and some don't, and we really just want to raise awareness of some of the topics that help determine that," said Jonnali Mayberry, the family and consumer-science agent who teaches the class.
The class, one of only a few that take place in a secular environment, was offered for the first time in the county.
"It is a research-based program, so this can apply no matter what religious background you may or may not be," Mayberry said.
"It is really important for secular options to exist. Programs are offered in religious establishments, but if the couples don't belong they are less likely to participate in a marriage-preparation course."
The class is a mix of a lecture by the instructor, along with activities that focus on four main topics: communication, conflict, money and children.
"This is an educational program -- we aren't counselors or therapists," Mayberry said. "We are just trying to raise awareness. It is important for those entering into a marriage to go into it with open eyes and healthy, realistic goals."
Six couples completed the first presentation of the program.
Another class is tentatively scheduled for the end of October. It is open to the public with a fee of $10 per couple.
Among those in the group were Bonnie Lucero, 59, and her fiance, Daniel Walsh, 65, both of Orlando, who were preparing to walk down the aisle next month after 15 years of dating.
"It was my idea to come, so hopefully he will learn how to be a good husband," Lucero said, chuckling.
Lucero and Walsh, who have both been married previously, are determined to make this marriage the perfect match.
"We are going to do it until we get it right," Lucero said.
Both found the class to be a good compass to point them in the right direction.
"Although it seems like common sense, the class really has some good points," Walsh said.
The group also had several couples going into marriage for the first time -- such as Tracy Fey, 25, of Orlando and her fiance.
"We both thought it would be a good idea to take the class because we are always looking for ways to improve our communication," Fey said. "Things like this class will help give us a better start."
And while the class does its best to prepare the newly engaged, the incentives extend beyond the lessons.
Couples are eligible for a $32.50 discount off the $93.50 price of a marriage license upon completing the class and they can waive the three-day waiting period.
The preparation course was created by professors and family-service extension agents at the University of Florida in the late '90s, after divorce rates for the state were above average, and in conjunction with the Marriage Preparation and Preservation Act of 1999, Mayberry said.
According to a report by the National Vital Statistics Department, 158,754 couples were married in Florida in 2005; in that same year, 81,346 were divorced.
Those statistics ranked Florida No. 6 in the nation for number of divorces.
The program is offered in various extension education centers across Florida and is taught by extension agents within that branch. There are 67 University of Florida extension offices in Florida -- one for each county.
And while love is in the air, Mayberry hopes the responsibilities that come along with it are floating around, too.
"Marriage is a lifetime, and sometimes when people are in love certain topics are overlooked. Hopefully, this raises awareness of them," she said.
| 
