Rabbis who perform wedding ceremonies are in the best position to make premarital counseling a must for all couples. If the officiating rabbi is not able to conduct the counseling himself, he should provide the couple with the name of a trusted professional. The counselor may be a therapist or a rabbi trained in counseling. Either way, it helps for the person to be observant because an Orthodox marriage carries unique challenges and opportunities.
Wisely, Malka did not ask us what we thought of her advice, nor has she ever asked us whether we followed it. But if she is reading this, she will know that we did as she advised. My hope is that this article will inspire other couples to take these two important steps before they walk down the aisle, and will encourage their rabbonim to make sure that they do.