The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with the prescriptions of Canon 1067 and with due regard for Canon 1068, hereby decrees that the following norms shall be observed in preparation of a couple for marriage:

1. The couple should receive appropriate education and pastoral preparation
2. through participation in a marriage preparation program approved by the
3. diocesan bishop;
4. Parties should be questioned as to their freedom to marry;
5. Baptized Catholics should present a recently issued annotated baptismal certificate;
6. Where necessary, additional documentation (such as affidavits of parents) attesting to a Catholic party's freedom to marry should be presented;
7. Baptized non-Catholics should present satisfactory proof of baptism and freedom to marry;
8. Unbaptized persons should present satisfactory proof of freedom to marry;
9. Preparation for marriage should be in conformity with the prescriptions of canon 1063 (regarding what must precede marriage) and canons 1064, 1071, 1072, 1086§2 and 1125, which entrust certain situations to the special care of local ordinaries;
10. Preparation for marriage should be in compliance with appropriate civil laws.

Link to Decree

Some (arch) dioceses have links on their website directly to marriage preparation guidelines and some offer various guidelines through their family life ministries or catechetical offices.

This analysis looks at the marriage policies of 119 Latin-rite dioceses, identifying common practices, significant differences, and current trends that are evolving, such as cultural adaptations, an emphasis on the total life cycle of the marriage, and liturgical rituals. It references specific diocesan policies that are especially well-developed on particular topics. It also suggests sources for additional information and explanations.

Link to USCCB Analysis

Excerpt from Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage
from the Pontifical Council for the Family (1996)
The starting point for an itinerary of marriage preparation is the awareness that the marriage covenant was taken up and raised to a sacrament of the New Covenant by the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament joins the spouses to the self-giving love of Christ the Bridegroom for the Church, his Bride (cf. Ephesians 5: 25-32) by making them the image of, and sharers in this love.

• Marriage Education Takes a Lifetime
  In many U.S. dioceses, marriage education ends with the wedding. But the Archdiocese of Chicago has new guidelines, In the Spirit of Cana, that urge "continuing education" for couples, long after the honeymoon is over.  This educational program lists ten steps for couples, meeting with a priest or deacon, taking the FOCCUS (or another premarital inventory), discussing the results at a follow-up session, attending a marriage preparation weekend or parish program, attending a Christian sexuality or NFP seminar, meeting again with a priest or deacon, having the wedding rehearsal and ceremony, and attending two follow-up workshops during the first year of marriage.

• Catholic Marriage Preparation, Inc
  Catholic Marriage Preparation, Inc. (CMP) is dedicated to the building of strong Catholic marriages.  With God being the source and foundation of marriage, it is foremost a spiritual journey.  CMP is deeply rooted in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Visit by clicking here.

• Marriage Preparation and Cohabitating Couples
  A 1999 Information Report on New Realities and Pastoral Practices
  This paper is neither an official statement of the Committee on Marriage and Family nor of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. It does not offer formal recommendations for action. It is intended as a resource paper, offering a compilation of resources and a reflection of the present "state of the question" regarding certain issues of cohabitation. Today almost half the couples who come for marriage preparation in the Catholic Church are in a cohabiting relationship.

• The Family Life Institute: Christian Married Life
  The Family Life Institute is an educational agency responding to the challenge of the Pontifical Council on the Family to educate children in faith and morals in ways that acknowledge the dignity, responsibility and competency of parents.
  Christian Married Life helps meet the challenges of marriage preparation in today's culture with slide shows that help provide an understanding of the objectives in marriage preparation, the conditions facing the engaged couple, an orientation on the preparation sequence and how the presentations work in the Sincere Gift of Self Marriage Course.

• The Gift Foundation: The Sacrament of Marriage Seminar
  The Gift Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 1997 dedicated to helping people understand the beauty and reasoning behind the Catholic Church's teaching on marriage and sexuality through audio and video products, conferences, and seminars. 
  The Sacrament of Marriage Seminar is a program of 11 videos exploring various aspects of Christian Marriage.

• Ascension Press: God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage
  Ascension Press is a private Catholic book and program publisher.  Their products are available online and in various bookstores.
  God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage is a new, supplemental marriage preparation program by renowned Catholic author and teacher Christopher West, based on Pope John Paul II’s revolutionary Theology of the Body.