“True love, like a cast iron skillet, should stand the test of time.” Marriage “True love, like a cast iron skillet, should stand the test of time.” -JC Penney Catalog

“We’re going to the chapel…” Wedding Stats 2.23 Million Marriages in the U.S. (2005) Average wedding cost 2006: $27,852 Guests: 165 $750 Million spent every weekend in U.S. on weddings Median income in U.S. (2004): approx. $42K Cost of weddings in 1939 (2006 Dollars):$5,700

According to Research… Marriage will not make you happier (Lucas & Diener, 2003), except on a short-term basis. Divorce rate in the United States for first-time marriages: 50% Primary reason for marriage dissolution: Key predictor in whether a marriage is likely to end in divorce: level of negative interaction (Markman & Gottman)

It Hurts to Be in Love Does the brain react to social rejection in a similar way as it does to physical pain? Answer: Yes. According to research recently published, people’s brains (using fMRI) show the same areas of the brain react to both physical pain and to the thought of an undesired ending to a romantic relationship (Kross and Smith, 2011) Associated research (Fisher, Brown, et al, 2010) indicated that the parts of the brain that respond to romantic rejection are the same as that respond to reward, motivation, physical pain, craving, and addiction.

Keeping Couples Together Serious marital conflict leads to: Mental health problems for children and adults (depression) Physical health problems (stress, heart problems) Research shows that couples that go through pre-marital classes (e.g. Pre-Cana) are more likely to succeed