Wallingford church offers couples candlelit Valentine dinners -- with relationship tips for dessert (From Herald Series)

Wallingford church offers couples candlelit Valentine dinners -- with relationship tips for dessert

8:35am Tuesday 2nd February 2010

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COUPLES are being invited to a Valentine’s Day candelit dinner with a difference at a Wallingford church.

The newly refurbished St Mary le More church will host a romantic dinner for two on February 14, followed by tips for couples to improve their relationships.

The meal will be provided by the Old Post Office restaurant and accompanied by jazz pianist Maff Potts, while the marital advice will come courtesy of The Marriage Course.

The course, which was founded by Nicky and Sila Lee in London, aims to help couples grow closer to each other.

It has run at hundreds of venues in the UK since 1996, and various other churches in Wallingford have hosted sessions since 2004.

Local course co-ordinator Helen Shephard said: “This Valentine’s dinner is a romantic night out that gives couples the opportunity to invest in their relationship as well as celebrating their love for each other.

“We want all our relationships to last a lifetime. In The Marriage Course we have found tools that can help couples build a strong marriage and to keep love alive their entire lives.”

Grahame McPherson, 38, who went on the course in 2004 with wife Sarah after just a year of marriage, said: “It’s not something which is just for people who have problems in their marriage. It’s for any couple who want to get more out of it.

“It was really helpful in clarifying the really important issues when you get married.

“It makes you sit down as a couple and talk about things — your expectations from marriage, the in-laws, money, sex, stuff like that.”

The dinner is open to any married or co-habiting couple at 7.30pm on Sunday, February 14.

It costs £15 per couple and includes a two-course meal and live music, followed by a talk on ‘What makes a marriage grow?’ Couples can then sign up to the seven-week course at the church on Wednesday evenings.

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