The following pages contain testimonials given by real WWME Encounter couples. They are collected from TV, newspapers and the directly from couples who wanted to share the excitement from the changes they experienced on the weekend.
We encourage you to come on a weekend and see what the excitement is all about.
Eric & Andrea - Grand Rapids, Michigan (United States)
My husband and I went to our first Marriage Encounter weekend in Lansing, Michigan March 19th through the 21st. We knew people that went but had never been. We really enjoyed it. It was nice to get away from the distractions and the kids and just have time for each other on the weekend. My husband and I renewed our love for one another and came back so fulfilled and so in love with each other after almost 10 yrs. of marriage. We vowed on the way home to dialogue at night before bed and change the way we used to do things as a couple and not go back to those ways. We want to be involved in the Marriage Encounter community and have contacted our friends in Grand Rapids, Michigan where we live, who are in it and leaders for us to get involved.
Angelica & Robert DiNiro - Miami, Florida (United States)
My husband and I had our weekend about two years ago and I must say that it was the best decision we had ever made. We learned so much about each other, and we learned about the different tools we needed in order to better communicate with each other. We are also attending the circle meeting each month and we continue learning. We have now been married for 4 years, we have a 5 month old baby boy and we are more in love than we have ever been. I would recommend the weekend to everyone from the bottom of my heart, it really works!!!!
Wendell & Pohaikealoha Au - Honolulu, Hawaii (United States)
We just returned from our weekend. Our time proved to be a work worth all the effort...This weekend, we learned valuable skills that taught us how to communicate even in difficult situations. I learned about feelings my spouse had that he had never shared with me before, and I felt more compassionate and understanding. Today we feel confident that our communication will soar to new heights and that our love can be strong again.
Enrique & Kattia Carrillo - San Jose, (Costa Rica)
We had our weekend on October 31st in San José, Costa Rica. Our marriage has turned into one happy honeymoon since we had our weekend. We are listening to each other with love and we are always looking forward to our 20 minutes of sharing and loving every day. Finally, we let go and let God.
Our kids see the difference even though they are only 7 & 4 years old. They seem happier and laugh more often. We have been married for 10 years and Marriage Encounter helped us not only with our marriage, but gave us the opportunity to be closer to God.
Teri & Bill Banks - Hamilton Square, New Jersey (United States)
We made our weekend in September, 2004. Those were the most amazing days of our married life! I knew our marriage was strong, but I never really knew just how strong it was. The words spoken there felt as if they were directly being spoken to us. Each couple that spoke seemed to have more and more in common with us. It was very powerful to be surrounded by couples wanting to work on their marriage.We prayed with the priest attending our weekend for a miracle to come home with us, to remain in our lives and hearts and our marriage. Early in our marriage we tried for two years to have our first child, who is now 18 months old. We had to go a medical route to even conceive, with no reason for us not being able to conceive prior to that. After having her, we said if it was meant to be, it would happen in God's time. Watch what we pray for... we got pregnant and are having a Marriage Encounter Baby! God Bless you Marriage Encounter.
Steve & Tonya Behnke - Eugene, Oregon (United States)
Our Marriage Encounter experience changed our lives. It made us realize how much we loved each other, and that our marriage was worth making work. We fell in love all over again during our weekend. However, we stopped dialoging for a number of years and found our communication was going down the drain. We made so many excuses not to dialogue (like the kids, we were tired, we wanted to watch a tv show, etc.) Recently we decided to start dialoging again as a new years resolution and it's been soooo nice to really communicate with each other again. Thanks ME for making our marriage so much better!
Travis & Denise Wiese - McCook, Nebraska (United States)
My husband and I had our weekend recently. We've been married for 5 years. and at the time I thought we had a good marriage, I never dreamed that we would have a great marriage until after our weekend. We fell in love all over again and learned a new way of being intimate. We are so grateful and feel truly blessed to be a part of WWME.
Vin & Sharon Gajewski - Cheshire, Connecticut (United States)
We have been married for 39 years and, yes, we have had our share of ups and downs. We decided to try a marriage encounter weekend, and oh boy are we glad we did! We took our bland marriage and made it sparkle. We are in love all over again. We have a new lift to our step and can't wait to spend time with each other. We have committed to keep each other first and foremost. We can't say enough about how this weekend - it put romance, a renewed spirit and an enhanced friendship in our marriage. No matter how long or short you are married this is something that every married couple will get something out of.
Mike & Stacy Burri - Troy, Missouri (United States)
What a great weekend. It has been almost two weeks since we have been to our weekend and we are still dialoguing and it has been a wonderful experience. We recommend it to everyone. You always think your marriage is perfect, or you don't need to learn how to communicate with each other because you already know how, but there is always room for improvement and lessons to learn. What a blessing to bring something like this to your marriage. Thank you for everything you did for us.
Dave & Rosie Goss - Lancaster, Pennsylvania (United States)
It has been four years since we attended our original weekend. That Marriage Encounter weekend changed our lives and our relationship with each other. Our faith in God has never been stronger. Many times God blesses us in ways we never anticipated. Marriage Encounter was truly a blessing in disguise. It has become our personal ministry. Our Marriage Encounter community is comprised of many couples who have become our closest friends. In June 2005, we celebrated 32 years of marriage and our relationship with each other continues to grow. Many thanks to all the couples and priests who are part of this ministry. God is great in all of you!
Kevin & Claire Murray - Carmel, New York (United States)
Our weekend changed our lives and view of what a marriage should be. It unleashed the incredible potential that lay dormant in our marriage. We now see why God has brought us together and continues to bless us daily. He wants our marriage to be a beacon of His love for mankind. Our communication has gotten deeper and more loving. Our intimacy has skyrocketted by leaps and bounds. But the real treat is now we see our marriage as an instrument of God's love and really want to live our marriage as part of His plan. We are giddy with anticipation to see what heights He will take us. He can take your marriage beyond the bounds of your imagination if you just let Him take the wheel.
David & Jackie Scott - Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)
Well, it's Monday and we just finished our Marriage Encounter Weekend in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Let me tell you it was the most exciting and emotional weekend we have experienced in our 13 years of marriage. We are all taught how to balance a cheque book from our parents, or how to fix things around the house, but no one ever teaches us how to talk and listen to our spouses. This weekend I finally learned how to communicate with my wife for the first time in 13 years and what a relief. I cannot thank you enough for this program and the opportunity that you presented to us this weekend THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
John & Becky MacDonald - Bozeman, Montana (United States)
Our weekend was so much more than we thought it would be! It was just amazing that the simple exercises we did could so profoundly change our relationship. We loved how the entire weekend was so positive, and that our relationship was so honored. We felt so nurtured and supported and yes, loved. We highly recommend a Marriage Encounter weekend for every married couple!.
Nicky & Vicki Parriad - New Orleans, Louisiana (United States)
We were encountered in July of 2004. It was a gift from my best friend and her husband. This is Nicky's second marriage. We were a happy, stable couple with all of the ups and downs that includes. After the weekend, we discovered that we were more in love than we had ever been. We learned that by sharing our words, we could enrich our life. We have since begun work on getting his 1st marriage annulled so that we can have our marriage blessed. It was never that important before -- now it is. Our life has been so enriched through the community. We are from New Orleans and this community has been 'life' saving. We have felt so much love and spirituality during these trying times. We can't imagine our life without Marriage Encounter.
Tom & Jamie Holloway - Newport News, Virginia (United States)
Today is Monday, a day after our encounter weekend. I'm not sure how to explain my real feelings, but I know I'm a changed man/husband/father. As I sat through the first session on Friday night.... I wasn't sure this was going to be for me. As the hours turned into days, I was surprised how much I was drawn into the weekend.This is the best thing I've ever done to bring my relationship closer with my wife. I feel as if I was struck by lightning directly in the heart. I never realized how much our relationship was in a down spiral. After 24 years of marriage, I thought this was the 'NORM' for old married couples. Well, I'm here to tell you that the Marriage Encounter will definitely change that thought for you!When Jamie and I left on Sunday afternoon, we both said it was like having a second honeymoon. I still have butterflies in my stomach and feeling like a teenager in love for the first time. I have many friends to thank for directing me to the encounter weekend and I am indebted to them for life. I now know God has big plans for Jamie and me, and I can't wait to fulfill them all! Thank you Marriage Encounter for a new lease on life with my wife.