Wedding Digest Philippines Grooms Edition | Page 182

THE DISCOVERY WEEKEND by Excel V. Dyquiangco For couples who want to tie the knot, there are of the course, the pre-counseling seminars. But when couples want to experience, develop and deepen their relationship even more, there is the Discovery Weekend. What is the Discovery Weekend? “The Discovery Weekend (DW) believes in taking marriage seriously,” says Aiza Tabayoyong, Vice Chairman, Marriage Preparation Foundation Inc. “And like any commitment we make, any job we take or any profession we choose, being a husband or a wife requires just as much training, if not more so. The DW aims to provide a venue for such needed training as it equips couples with ways to assess their readiness for marriage as an individual and as a couple, and tools on how to be better lifetime partners to their future spouses. The DW seeks to paint a more realistic picture of what married life entails – that with the joys and blissful moments comes the challenges in keeping the romance and love alive between them while facing the rigors of adjusting to a person from a totally different background, caring your own family, building a home, adjusting to in-laws, raising children, etc. Thus, DW strongly advocates the need to prepare for the marriage, not just for the wedding, to bring back the focus from the romance and grandeur of the wedding day, to what those vows during the wedding are really all about. What should couples expect? During the seminar, couples should expect three steps: presentation by the team couple, a personal written reflection aided by a questionnaire; and a couple-dialogue which are done privately. Here, couples can share their most intimate secrets.“There are no group discussions,” adds Tabayoyong. “It is a seminarworkshop intended for the couple to really be together without the distraction of work, family, studies and other social obligations. While DW does not promise an instant happy marriage (for this relies more on the effort put in by both partners), it gives the couple a much needed initial ‘orientation & training’ to be better prepared and equipped to enter married life.” How much is the seminar? For Manila couples, cost is at P7,500 and Cebubased, P5,000. This includes accommodation, food and the materials needed for the seminar. Who to call? For interested parties, contact 426-1271, (0906) 783-2140 and look for Lala Denilla for both Manila and Cebu, or email [email protected]