Catholic Weddings

Engaged Encounter

I just got back from meeting with the Br at the church FI and I are getting married at, and he said that wehave two options for pre-wedding counseling.  Either Pre-Cana classes (which I thought was my only option!) or a retreat called Engaged Encounter.

Any of you ladies gone through Engaged Encounter?  FI went on an Encounter retreat in high school, and I did Kairos in high school (also Steubenville) but never Encounter.  I'm just trying to see what would be the best fit for FI and myself.
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Re: Engaged Encounter

  • edited December 2011
    Yup, H and I were required to attend an EE weekend. It was a good experience for both of us. It is very intense emotionally (at least for me it was) and requires you to really evaluate and think about the reasons why you are getting married. We both enjoyed it. We also did the pre-cana sessions with our priest.

    The national website (for you to schedule a session bc they do book up quickly) is: engagedencounter.com

    Just search for your state, city, etc.

    There are also some prior posts where the ladies have reflected a little more in detail about their experiences, so you may want to search the board for them and read them as well.

    Good Luck and Congrats on your upcoming wedding!
  • edited December 2011
    We had to do both and each was beneficial in it's own way.  If you are able to do pre-cana without other couples (ie- just you two and the priest/sponsor couple) I'd go with that since it will be tailored to you and your FI specifically.  
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  • edited December 2011
    I highly recommend choosing the EE weekend if you can.  I've heard great things about it and many people have told us how beneficial it was.  Unfortunately, we couldn't do it because my husband (fiance at the time) had just started a new job and had to work weekends out of town.  Instead, we did the one-day Pre-cana because it was our only other option and we wish we wouldn't have...it was expensive and we didn't get much out of it.  I've heard good things about it from other people in different areas though...so maybe it was just the one in our diocese that we weren't crazy about!  Anyway, overall I've heard much better things about EE so I'd go with that option if you have the choice.  Good luck!
  • edited December 2011
    The majority of what I've heard says that EE is the way to go.  We still have to meet with our priest every other month until the wedding, but he told us yesterday that we had to either sign up for EE (and soon because it's in November) or sign up for classes through the diocese, which would be with other couples. 

    Even though the cost of EE Is higher than the classes through the diocese, I think we're going to go that route.
    Paprika: I like it when you burp in my ear. It really turns me on.

    Baby Beach, Aruba, 2011
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic



    Posy Palette Blog
  • edited December 2011
    We did Engaged Encounter, didn't expect to like it that much, and ended up loving it!  I recommend EE if possible.
  • Tuneful_BrideTuneful_Bride member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    EE is a huge blessing. We had already completed a FOCCUS test and the require meetings with the parish's designated marriage prep lady. My FI was not too enthusiastic about EE; he just wanted to do the Pre-Cana classes, but our priest had recommended the EE weekend. 

    At the end of the weekend, FI was very, very happy we had done EE. It's non-intrusive, no sharing intimate stuff with the group. It's listening to a married couple's experience with a topic, then time to yourself to reflect, then time with your FI to discuss issues in private. It's about communication, and I really have never talked to anyone who had a bad experience with Engaged Encounter.
  • edited December 2011
    Fl and I did EEC.. We got a lot out of it.. It was great.. I suggest doing the Retreat.. You learn alot about yourself and your Fl..

    best of luck
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