At BYU-Idaho, marriage is always a big topic. Many of us may have friends preparing for marriage, or we may be getting ready for marriage. I personally have found myself in the latter category.

We've been taught by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the great value and importance of marriage.

According to The Family: A Proclamation to the World, "Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan."

Let's look at this highly realistic scenario. You've may have been told, "You need to get married," or "Prepare for your eternal spouse so you can have a happy marriage," or something similar. And you did it, you finally found the one, the person who you want to live this life with and spend the highs and lows with. You get engaged, and now ... You may not quite know how to do this wedding and marriage thing with this person.

Consider this a quick start guide to learning how to prepare for marriage and start it well. To help you (and me) take the next step in life, I have interviewed two professionals to advise on preparing for marriage.

Once the ring is placed on the finger, this tends to start a logistical marathon to get everything ready for the wedding.

I met with Katie Robinson, who is a faculty member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Robinson teaches the beginning and advanced courses in Wedding and Event Planning on campus.

When you start preparing for the wedding, there may be a lot of different aspects that can jump out at you and be exciting or overwhelming. You may be thinking about how we can make it fun for our guests and make sure everything works out perfectly.

"First of all, what you have to identify is the who, what, where, when and why," Robinson said. "Who are we as a couple? What do we want for a wedding? If we could plan a party that is reflective of the union between the two of us, what would that look like?"

Robinson suggested finding adjectives that describe how you want your wedding to feel and plan based on those words. You can use words like fun, happy and exciting. If you want a more elegant wedding, you can use words like mature, refined and traditional.

Do what works for you. You shouldn't feel pressured to follow tradition if you don't want to. If a certain tradition doesn't feel like it embodies how you want to celebrate your wedding, then don't do it.

"We focus on what tradition dictates that we ought to do, instead of thinking about the why behind the event," Robinson said.

In my interview with Robinson, she gave me six "A's" to guide the creation of the wedding once the adjectives have been chosen.

• Anticipation: The invitations and wedding website that set the initial tone.

• Arrival: Ensuring guests feel welcomed and know exactly where to go.

• Atmosphere: The decor, music, and even fragrance that engage all five senses.

• Activity: Choosing events for the evening that actually celebrate the couple.

• Appetite: Selecting food that leaves a lasting positive impression.

• Amenities: The practical comforts, like accessible restrooms and comfortable seating.

Using these bullet points to start planning your wedding should give you a good direction to prepare an event that will be everything you want.

Preparing for your temple sealing can be exciting, but it may be high-pressure, making sure that you have everything together for the special day. I'll share some noteworthy concepts I have learned as I've prepared for my sealing.

Every temple has slightly different policies. Some temples may be fine with light perfumes or colognes, while other temples may require you not to wear any during the sealing ceremony. I recommend that you call the temple you plan on being sealed in and ask any specific questions you have.

According to the General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Exchanging rings is not part of the temple sealing ceremony. However, couples may exchange rings after the ceremony in the sealing room."

You can also have a ring ceremony later off the temple grounds. You should not replicate any part of the sealing ceremony, and you should not exchange vows after being sealed in the temple.

When you get sealed, you are required to have your marriage license. Some states require you to wait a little bit before you get married after you get your licence, while others allow you to get married the same day. In Idaho, you can get married the same day as getting your marriage licence, according to the Bonner County, Idaho website.

When applying for your marriage licence, you and your significant other need to be present. You will be asked to provide your current driver's license, Social Security number and pay a $28 fee. The Madison County website explains the application process and what you need to do with your license after the ceremony.

Preparing for your sealing and the reception are both exciting parts of the process of getting married, but another important part is learning how to prepare for a successful marriage emotionally.

Michael Williams, a licensed psychotherapist and a marriage and family therapist of over 30 years, extended his advice for preparing for a successful marriage before you even get married.

"I think the way somebody prepares and moves toward marriage determines even whether they should feel safe and encouraged, because honestly, most people go about it very poorly," said Williams.

According to Williams, many of the struggles couples face in their marriage can be traced back to their engagement.

"Hanging out has no connection with developing a good marriage. Hanging out is what you do with the dudes that you live in your apartment with… it does nothing to build healthy relationships," Williams said.

Williams advised me that successful marriages are built on meaningful things, such as joint wedding planning, learning how to work with each other's strengths and seeking and responding to feedback.

Emotional preparation for marriage isn't just a feeling; it's developing skills that will help you build competence in your marriage. This may mean setting boundaries.

"Engagement is the time to practice 'closing doors' and 'putting up picket fences' to establish healthy boundaries with friends and family, ensuring the marriage remains a protected space," Willamis said.

Taking your marriage and making Christ the center of it will allow guidance and strength.

"Couples must center their lives in the gospel of Jesus Christ," According to the Topics and Questions about marriage. "As couples help one another keep the covenants they have made, attend church and the temple together, study the scriptures together, and kneel together in prayer, God will guide them."

There will be many emotions that will come with preparing and getting married, but ultimately, you should focus on Christ and the covenants you are preparing to make.