Ideas for Planning Marriage Retreats
The details of a marriage retreat often mean the difference between a packed house full of excited participants and an empty room. Marriage retreats help couples reconnect in order to improve the quality of their marriages. To be effective, the retreat needs a balance of activities that engage the couples and encourage them to open up.
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Analyze the Audience
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The couples who participate in the retreat play a large role in the planning process. Consider the target audience of the marriage retreat, whether they've been married for years or are newlyweds. Define the specific purpose of the marriage retreat as a guide for planning the specific activities. For example, the goal might be to help newlyweds learn to work well together as a couple, or for couples going through a difficult time to work on rebuilding their marriages.
Create a Schedule
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A specific schedule keeps the day running smoothly, without lots of downtime for participants to grow bored. You also get a better look at the balance of activities for the retreat. Include a mix of whole group activities, speakers and individual time for the couples to discuss matters privately. If you cannot afford a professional speaker, recruit couples from the community or congregation to share their own experiences with the couples. The speakers provide a springboard for additional discussion or activities for the couples. Schedule in breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout.
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Delegate Planning
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Handling all of the planning yourself puts you under a large amount of stress. Create a retreat planning committee that allows you to delegate part of the planning responsibility to others. Meet regularly with the other planning team members to keep everyone updated on the progress. The meetings avoid duplicate efforts, and ensure you don't miss any major responsibilities, like securing the location or planning the food for the retreat.
Add Entertainment
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While a marriage retreat covers potentially heavy topics, a lighthearted touch balances out the day. Add decorations to the retreat space to set the mood. If each couple has a separate room for discussing the topics covered, make a personalized sign for each couple's door. Music during breaks and transitions also helps create the tone for the event. Include drawings or prizes to thank the participants in the retreat.
Promote the Event
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Promotion of the marriage retreat helps you increase the number of participants. Start your promotion early, especially if the retreat lasts for longer than a few hours. Couples need time to plan and make arrangements to attend, especially if they have children. Share some of the highlights of the retreat in the promotional material, which might include fliers, announcements, newspaper ads, bulletin articles and personal invitations to couples.
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References
- Photo Credit Couple image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
