Relationship Success Tip: What to Take with You on a Couples Retreat PT 3

Sweatshirts/Fleece Tops: While it can be incredibly gorgeous, sunny, warm, and even hot during the day time, often the areas where Retreat Centers are located will get quite chilly at night with significant drops in the temperature.  Feel free to bring an extra of your manly XXL sweatshirts for your wife who might only have thought to pack her cute summer bright colored tops and nothing warm.  You’ll get to be her hero when you make the manly gesture of offering her one of your big sweatshirts to wear.  Plus it’ll make her feel like you’re hugging her even when you two are only sitting next to each other during the Bible Study times.

Bathing suits. Check in advance if their is a swimming pool, lake, beach, or pond access.  Nothing is more frustrating than there being swimming facilities to cool off in during a warm summer day and being unable to enjoy them because you two forgot to pack your bathing suits.

Favorite treats. Anything from a bottle of your favorite wine to the ingredients for s’mores.  This is meant to be a time of refreshment and renewal for you two as a couple for your marriage.

Do keep in mind that depending on the sponsoring organization, alcohol may or may not be allowed at the center.  If you are at an Episcopalian, Catholic, or Anglican Retreat center, you likely don’t need to even be concerned.

However, it is Baptist, Pentacostal, or LDS sponsored, then by all means, check with the administrative staff about what items are not permitted at the Retreat Center on their rules.  Some will post such a list at the Retreat Center’s website.

Additionally, while you can be miles away from a grocery store from supplying your favorite evening treat, the Retreat Center may have a small snack bar where you can purchase scoops of ice cream or ice cream bars.  Check to see if you must have cash on you to partake.  You don’t want to be facing down a Haagen Daz bar with only your debit card with you and a Cash Only Snack Bar policy.

Smoking: If you or your spouse is still a smoker, check with the Retreat Center about their smoking policy.  First of all, again, depending upon the sponsoring denomination or ministry, smoking may simply be completely forbidden as a religious item.

Secondarily, because many Retreat Centers are located in the country and often in quite beautifully woodsy areas, smoking may be forbidden on the Retreat Center grounds completely because of their vulnerability to Fire and for Fire Insurance reasons.  If you must have a cigarette, you might need to hike a little ways off grounds to partake.  Just keep it in mind and check ahead of time.

Please don’t just think you can sneak a cigar or cigarette in your room or cabin.  I used to volunteer extensively at Christian Conference Center in Northern California.  There were rules and fire regulations.  And adults, not the teens, were the ones often trying to sneak around the rules like they didn’t apply to them.  You’re often jeopardizing the Retreat Center’s insurance policy.  Just be considerate and go off grounds if you must.  The exercise will do you good.

Same thing with lighting a romantic candle in your bedroom or cabin.  It could be considered a fire risk and be against their rules.  Instead, think of bringing a flashlight along with you two.

Happy Dating and Relationships,

April Braswell