A wedding is a day...

A marriage is a lifetime

2024 Events
Registration Open

Dates
27 - 28 July 2024 & 19 - 20 October 2024

Location
301 Karori Road, Wellington

Time
8am - 4pm (non residential) (TBC)

Communication Skills

Conflict Management

Decision Making

Keeping romance alive

Relationship Skills

What is Catholic Engaged Encounter?

Catholic Engaged Encounter is a worldwide marriage preparation course for couples contemplating marriage, whether already engaged or just thinking about a future together. It strengthens commitment by providing the opportunity for couples to think about many different aspects of married life, asking themselves (and their partner) the hard questions or the very obvious but unspoken ones.

The weekend "away from it all" helps iron out many issues that could be major hurdles or challenges to compatibility. It gives couples an unparalleled opportunity to form a closer bond to each other and create a proven and solid foundation for a happy future.

What happens in the weekend?

The weekend consists of a series of presentations beginning Saturday morning and ending Sunday afternoon after Mass. It is led by a team of married couples and a priest. We share our life experiences to explore your own attitudes and expectations in your relationship. We will not tell you how to live your life. We offer good ideas and tools to help the two of you to continue growing closer through the years.

After each presentation, the men and women reflect on the presentation questions individually. They then come together to discuss their ideas with each other.

The topics covered in the presentations include ambitions, goals, values, attitudes about God, sex, money, children and family. Personal reflection and couple discussion are the main focus of our weekend. You get time to talk about matters that you may have not considered as a couple before. Since each relationship is in a different place, your private answers will be unique and special to your relationship.

There are regular coffee breaks and meals provided that give couples time to socialise.


FAQ

For couples it will cover the following aspects:

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    What is Catholic Engaged Encounter?

    It is a weekend designed for couples who are preparing for marriage. The weekend provides an opportunity for each couple to talk privately and honestly about their future lives together - their strengths and weaknesses; desires; ambitions; goals; their attitudes about money, sex, values, lifestyles, family, and their role in the church and society. Research indicates that lasting marriages are a result of good communication, problem-solving and decision-making. These are skills which are reinforced in this course. The weekend is presented with the approval of the Cardinal John Dew, and the Archdiocesan Family Life Office.

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    When is the weekend held?

    Engaged Encounter weekends are held usually 3 times a year. It begins on Saturday morning at 8am and concludes around 4.00pm on Sunday afternoon after Mass. To get the most benefit out of the weekend, couples need to attend the entire weekend.

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    What is the cost of the weekend

    The cost is $180 per couple, however no couple is denied the opportunity of attending a weekend, as funds may be available for such purposes if necessary. The weekend is fully catered for with snacks, lunches and dinner provided. You will also receive course materials to take home. Please pay using Internet Banking details available on the Register link at the top of this page.

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    Why should we attend?

    Our motto is: 'A wedding is a day, a marriage is a lifetime'. Attending a marriage preparation course is a requirement for getting married in a Catholic Church. But think of all the preparation you have done for your career or job. Most of us spend years studying or learning. Think of the preparation taken for your wedding day. Most people spend months planning and many dollars preparing for their wedding. But how much time and effort do we spend preparing for what we hope will last 50 or 60 years – our marriage?. Ask yourself this question, 'Am I willing to spend 20 hours devoted to hearing ideas and learning skills that will help to make my marriage the best it can be?.M/p

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    When should a couple attend?

    A couple should attend the course as early as possible in their engagement. The weekend is not directly a preparation for the wedding day, so it shouldn't be left to the busy period before the wedding.

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    What happens during the weekend?

    Married couples present examples from their own relationships for engaged couples to privately discuss in relation to their own forthcoming marriage.The engaged couples discussion is always from the viewpoint of their own relationship.Personal reflection and discussion between the couple is the main focus of the weekend. Coffee breaks and meal times provide an opportunity for couples to socialise.

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    Is it still relevant to trends or lifestyles these days?

    Weekends are presented using the latest outlines gained from extensive research here and internationally.

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    Do we have to share personally?

    No you don't. The team couples share with you some of their experiences of married life which you can reflect on as a couple.

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    Is it based on group discussion??

    There are no group dynamics. The weekend is specifically designed for private discussion between the couple. However there is an opportunity for a question and answer session.

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    Is it just for Catholics?

    No. Although the weekend is designed for couples who are being married in the Catholic Church, the emphasis is on relationship education and is relevant to those of another religion or those who have no religion. It is common for couples to come where one person is Catholic and the other person has no religion. We would recommend getting your fiance to read the Testimonials to read about past registered couples experiences during the weekend.

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    Is Catholicism pushed?

    No. The focus of the weekend is your relationship. As most of the team are Catholics, some of their sharings will reflect their own religious faith. The weekend is about Christian values common to all Christian faiths. However you can make your own interpretation of the talks based on your own relationship.

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    Do we need to bring a bible for the weekend?

    No this is not necessary as the weekend is not a bible study course.


EE Wellington Team

Meet Our Amazing Team

The Catholic Engaged Encounter community is a group of married couples who are excited about being married. Our primary function is to form the staff and support system for the CEE weekends and we help plan the weekends.

"Best thing I have done for 'us' in a long, long time. So helpful to our relationship. It was fantastic to have a weekend to solely concentrate on my partner without the pressures of the world."

Andrew

"Thank you for this weekend. We really valued the privacy and the time to explore our relationship further. It was wonderful to reaffirm our love and commitment and confirm that we are on the right track."

Radha

"The weekend was a gift. I loved meeting other couples who are taking their marriage vows seriously (and playfully) and having some of my preset ideas of what marriage was about stretched (in a good way)."

Robert

"We did the Engaged Encounter Weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It gives couples a forum to discuss their feelings in an open, honest and trusting manner. We also met some other fabulous couples whilst we were there, who are all going through the same life event so we had lots in common and it was lovely to hear about other people's wedding plans."

Lana & Paul

"As a non-Catholic, I was very hesitant in relation to the non-acceptance of other Christian denominations at a Catholic Church weekend. I was very pleased that you were very open to other denominations and made us feel welcome. I got an understanding of some of the Catholic beliefs of my partner. I would recommend this to anyone."

Murray

"A fantastic and inspiring weekend. I feel it has benefited our relationship. Having the opportunity and time to talk intimately to each other with no interuptions was great and I found it rewarding listening to the presenting couples' very deep and personal experiences. We will really encourage all our engaged friends and those considering marriage to attend."

Vicky

Do you fancy our events so far?
Register todayas spaces are limited!

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Contact Us

Catholic Engaged Encounter Wellington

ceewgtn@gmail.com