Congratulations on your engagement! This is a really exciting time in your life. It’s also probably going to be a bit stressful.
During this next year, I want to walk through this process with you. I’ll give you a 12 Month Guide to planning your wedding and explain things along the way. You can start from the beginning here (click). Come back to this blog each week for the next installment.
Week 24 – Doctor’s Appointments
Hope your wedding website is coming together! This week we’ll look at something more personal before getting back to regular wedding planning. We need to discuss doctor’s appointments since it can sometime take a bit to schedule an appointment. There are three reasons why doctor’s appointments can be a good idea before you get married: general check-up for peace of mind, blood test requirements of the state, possible children/birth control options. Since this is such a personal nature, please be assured that we’ll take a very basic approach to this. If you have further questions, please seek advice from a licensed medical professional.
So the first reason we mentioned is a general check-up. It can be good to make sure everything (check-ups, dentistry, etc.) is up-to-date before the marriage. This is mostly for peace of mind, but possible insurance changes are another good reason to act now so you’re not stressed while the paperwork is being ironed out. I went to my childhood dentist before I got married for a semi-regular cleaning and to prepare in case it would be a bit before I went back. Preventative measures can be really helpful, especially since there’s enough going with normal marriage transitions.
The second reason listed is because of required blood tests. There are few states require blood tests before the marriage, though most don’t anymore. These state requirements change so please ask your local marriage license office about them to make sure everything is in order even if you don’t see your state on this list (even results from the last three years have come up with varying answers). I’m going to err on the side of caution and list each of the states I’ve seen listed as requiring the tests in the last few years: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New York and Oklahoma*.
*Please do not take this as a conclusive listing. Results are subject to change. Consult your local marriage license office.
The final reason to seek medical advice is about the possibility of children or the need for birth control. Medical professionals should be able to answer all your questions and help you find an option that will be best for you as a couple. But you have to go in order to be able to ask the questions (that’s why I’m bringing this whole thing up). I personally had a lot of questions and found this time to be very helpful, which is why I suggest it to brides. Everybody has different thoughts and beliefs about children and birth control. Talk with your fiancé and talk with a doctor.
I hope these tips are helpful and not too intrusive. I’m not telling you to do any of this, but it can be very helpful if you do. Because of the personal nature, I have no questions to encourage conversations here about this topic. This post was meant to be informative and as a precautionary step. Again, please seek the licensed professionals who will meet your needs.
Next week we’ll get back to our normal wedding planning discussions and go over wedding announcements.
Katelyn is a certified wedding planner. She is available for consultations.
She will even meet with you on Skype to help you work through part of your wedding planning.
Click here for more information.