Our weekend ended yesterday and what an emotional ride. After only two and a half years of marriage we knew we needed some help. The weekend was my husband's idea and I was very resistant.We were living a good life, but as married singles. We had no idea just how far we had drifted apart until we started dialoging. My walls came down and I could see how much my unwillingness to share my feelings had hurt our marriage. By Sunday, we were both emotionally drained but we left feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted from our shoulders. We see each other in a completely different light now, and we look forward to our lives together. We can't wait to utilize the tools we learned and meet up with our WEDS group. Thanks to Father Francois - we thought you were just wonderful and you opened our eyes to the life of a priest. Thanks to the teams too - your stories and courage were inspiring. This is a journey for all married couples, whether you think you need it or not.

We have been married 6 years and attended our Marriage Encounter 2 weeks ago. It was such a blessing! We went with the hopes of walking away a more connected couple. The weekend was so much more than we ever expected it to be! It is so amazing to us that through the simple things they taught us we can make a daily connection that allows and encourages us to be a more loving and considerate couple and, as a result, more loving and considerate parents. We learned so much about each other and continue to use those skills everyday since we got back. During the weekend we felt so supported by the team and other couples around us, it was a wonderful environment for growth and sharing. After we arrived home I felt a loss for a few days because I missed being there! It was the best experience of our married lives and one we will always cherish. We are reminded of it every day as we continue to share our feelings and grow in love. Everyone should make a weekend, you wont regret it!

AMAZING! We have been together for ten years, married for six. We have two beautiful, healthy children. We have always been very much in love, but we were getting in the very bad habit of putting each other on the back burner. With tending to the kids, school, work, life we sort of took each other for granted. We knew that we needed to spend time alone focused on just the two of us...no interruptions.

Friends of ours had been encountered 5 years prior and I was always interested in attending a weekend when the kids got a little older. Well, the time had come for us to have our weekend, and it was such a blessing. My husband was reluctant at first. He felt that our love was strong and was nervous that he would have to share his feelings with a group. I assured him that from what I was told the marriage encounter was very private and really about us communicating with each other, not a group.

The first night we sat towards the back of the room. I asked my husband to please sit in the front so we could really listen to the presenting couples and priest. The first part of our weekend he said, no I don't want to sit too close." Well, by the middle of Saturday, before I even would enter the room Dan would be sitting in front waiting for me. By Sunday we were so emotionally and spiritually fulfilled that we honestly could not imagine the weekend getting any better.

Our marriage encounter weekend was the most uplifting, enlightening experience of our lives next to our wedding day and the birth of our children. We extend our sincere thanks and blessings to the presenting couples and priest on our weekend. Their sharing and guidance gave us the gift of a lifetime. It amazes us that what we learned was so simple, and we accomplished so much in such a short time. We plan on continuing our journey with dialog and attending circle meetings. We realize now more than ever what a precious gift we are to each other. Thank you WWME!

Every married couple, young or old needs this marriage encounter. It was amazing!