Private marriage intensives in Charlotte and Kannapolis, NC

Our main office is in Kannapolis, North Carolina, in the Charlotte metro area. Most of the couples who come to us travel from outside North Carolina, so you won’t be the only ones making the trip. Charlotte Douglas International Airport has direct flights from all over the country, and the drive from the airport is about 40 minutes.

We also meet couples nearby in Rockwell, a small town just east of Kannapolis.

Because you’re the only couple, you choose where you stay and what fits your budget. After you schedule, we’ll send you a list of hotels close to your counselor’s office.

A simple plan for your trip

• Arrive the day before, leave the day after. Build in rest. Don’t land late, rush, and expect the first day to feel peaceful.
• Stay somewhere quiet. Ask for a room away from elevators and ice machines, with easy parking and simple food nearby.
• Clear the deck. Line up childcare, pet care and work coverage, and plan to be unreachable during retreat hours.
• Protect your privacy. Use a plain calendar title like “out of town,” and skip social posts and check-ins.

Coming from farther away

We’ve written travel guides for couples coming from Columbia, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee and Richmond, Virginia.

If you live nearby

Even if you live close, we strongly recommend staying in a hotel. It takes you away from chores, kids, pets, TV and the thousand small distractions at home, so you can focus on each other. Couples have a much fuller experience when they do.

If you’d like to stay a little longer

Some couples add a quiet extra day after the retreat before heading home. Charlotte has great restaurants, museums, gardens and galleries if you’d like a gentle day together before returning to everyday life.

Getting here

Nearest airport: Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), about 40 minutes by car

• Uptown Charlotte: about 30 minutes
• Greensboro, NC: about 1 hour 15 minutes
• Columbia, SC: about 1 hour 45 minutes
• Asheville, NC: about 2 hours 15 minutes
• Raleigh, NC: about 2 hours 30 minutes
• Atlanta, GA: about 4 hours

Where to stay nearby

Lodging is not included, and that works in your favor: because you are the only couple, you choose where you stay and what fits your budget. After you schedule, we send you a list of hotels close to your counselor's office. Hotels near our Kannapolis office currently run about $70 to $120 a night.

Look for a quiet, businesslike hotel rather than a busy destination, ask for a room away from elevators and ice machines, and choose somewhere with easy parking and simple food nearby.

What to expect when you arrive

Each retreat day is about four hours with your counselor, followed by about two to two and a half hours of homework (except the final day). Many couples feel tired by the end of the day, in a good way, so plan for quiet evenings and good rest.

We ask couples to stop discussing their issues about a week before arriving, and to save those conversations for the retreat.

Local questions