CHOOSING TO GET MARRIED IS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST DECISIONS WE CAN MAKE
Beyond providing love and companionship, marriage commits us to being roommates, financial partners, caretakers, and for some, co-parents to future children. Although dating and living together help us get to know each other, they don’t prepare us for everything this meaningful commitment entails.
The Practically Married program was designed to get partners talking about subjects couples face in married life. It helps us ask important questions, make plans, set goals, and envision what a shared future will look like.
our step-by-step framework guides you through these essential topics:
Communication & Conflict
Careers & Goals
Money
Home Life
Sex & Romance
Leisure Time
Family & In-laws
Physical & Mental Health
Spirituality & Culture
Children
Practically Married is offered exclusively through couples counselors, so ask your therapist about the program! You can also take advantage of our FREE marriage preparation resources, the 10 Questions Checklist and the Get Ready to Say “I Do” minicourse.
Hi, I’m Paula Holt
My interest in marriage began more than 15 years ago leading me to pursue certifications in premier marriage education programs including The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work and Bringing Baby Home from The Gottman Institute, Prepare/Enrich®, and Couple Communication. I launched the award-winning blog Marital Musings and later wrote for the wedding website Style Me Pretty.
I was inspired to launch Practically Married when I noticed a lack of accessible marriage planning tools. In the development process, I consulted with numerous therapists through my affiliation with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and gathered extensive feedback from beta-testing couples.
Prior to running Practically Married, I graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. I’m also a wife, mother of two, podcast enthusiast, aspiring tennis player, and a beast on the dance floor (if I do say so myself).
I love supporting therapists & couples in building healthy relationships!
“Paula’s training and research has provided her with a collective understanding of how to best help couples address the important questions before marriage so they can begin with a solid supportive foundation from which to grow.”
“When I decided to do Practically Married, I thought I was doing a favor for Paula, the program’s creator. She needed feedback from engaged couples, I was engaged, so why not do it? There are subjects that made us uncomfortable, but I think that’s the point. To be in a healthy long-term relationship, couples need to discuss everything. Practically Married encouraged us to have those conversations. Needless to say, it was Paula who did ME a favor by asking me to participate in this process!””