What is a Marriage Encounter Weekend?

Marriage Encounter is a weekend experience designed to help married couples communicate more intimately with one another in order to deepen and enrich their relationship. Intended for couples with a good marriage, you are encouraged to come, not because you NEED a weekend, but because you DESERVE an opportunity to grow deeper in your love for one another.

The emphasis is on communication with one another. In a private, comfortable environment away from the distractions and responsibilities of everyday life, couples have an opportunity to examine and to grow in their relationship with each other. Couples on the weekend experience growth in their love toward one another, as well as in their love of God, their church, their family and the world.

Marriage Encounter is a positive, building experience. More than a weekend away, it’s a weekend of discovery — to rejuvenate your marriage. The weekend is full and structured, providing an opportunity to work on your relationship. You will find the weekend well worth the time and effort. It’s not a group-oriented weekend. It is not therapy, counseling or a sensitivity group. It is not for solving problems, but for building a stronger relationship, so that problems become more manageable or solvable in a more loving and positive environment.

Cost of the weekend:

Marriage Encounter is an experience available for ALL couples, even if finances are limited. At registration, each couple is asked to pay a non-refundable, non-receiptable $100 deposit, to reserve their place on the weekend. The total cost to provide the weekend for a couple is $650.00. No couple is denied due to lack of funds or ability to pay. Couples are asked to donate what they can afford. Some couples give more than the cost, which helps pay for those who can’t afford the full amount. Alumni, thankful for what Marriage Encounter has done for their relationship also make donations over the years. God is faithful to provide enough funds to make it possible for the weekend to be available for the two of you!

What is included:

Accommodation and plentiful, healthy meals, prepared on-site are provided, as well as snacks and breaks for the entire weekend. Dietary and mobility limitations can be accommodated. Each couple has a private room with ensuite washroom. A journal is provided, with presentation summaries, for couples to take notes and also to take home for continuing growth after the weekend.

What Happens on a Weekend?

The weekend begins on Friday evening at 7:30, and continues until 2:00 Sunday afternoon. We encourage couples to arrive by 7:00 on Friday, to have a few moments to settle into their room. And then we encourage couples to allow some time after the event on Sunday, to plan not to leave until 3:00. Volunteer Presenting Couples give a series of presentations, sharing their own real-life experiences. Couples are given time for personal reflection in the privacy of their own room, to share their feelings about their own marriage and to talk in ways and at depths that are seldom found in their everyday lives.