Couple to explore healthy marriages at weekend event

This coming weekend, Hilton Resort will be transformed into a place that celebrates love as Gabriel Charles and Dr. Denise J Charles host their event Strong love, the Journey from 6 p.m.

Conceptualized by the husband and wife team during the COVID-19 pandemic, the event on Saturday June 10 will feature the launch of the book Journey To One along with performances by Nikita, Chrissy D, John Yarde, Adrian Clarke, Rhesa Garnes and Mya Daniel.

“As a couple we grew closer and spent much time together reflecting on our relationship and on our personal and couple goals. We did our date nights on Facebook Live and shared teachings on Sundays where we sometimes looked at relationships and marriage. We felt that a national focus on strengthening families and communities and by extension the nation through strengthening marriages and intimate relationships, was a worthwhile initiative for us to lead and hence the idea was born,” Denise said.

The graduate of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus who holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership said that arising out of their conversations they decided to write a book detailing their love journey.

“The idea of journeying towards a stronger love grew out of the idea for the book so they are definitely connected. We have always publicly acknowledged the early challenges in our marriage but felt strongly and even led by God that the time had come for us to disrobe and to share intimately how we built personal and relationship resilience out of our struggles and challenges,” she said.

Charles explained that the Hilton event will be an elegant evening where love will be dissected and celebrated.

“We will be celebrating love in all of its many facets. This show will not only feature our story in our shared motivational presentation, but it will feature the stories of other specially featured couples. There will also be interactive elements with prizes and giveaways; a night of quality relationship, education and entertainment.” she said.

At Strong Love The Journey,  couples will also have the opportunity to renew their vows. Denise said it would be a wonderful way to cement intimacy and commitment.

“Renewing one’s vows is a way to build intimacy. My husband and I have done it twice thus far in our 38-year marriage and we welcome the opportunity to lead other couples in such a renewal. This is, however, a voluntary exercise and patrons of our event are free to either participate or to choose not to. Either way, there will be no pressure. But what we are hoping is that each of the couples that attends the event would be inspired and motivated to have deeper, more meaningful marriages and relationships. We are also targeting singles who are not yet in relationships or have been disillusioned by past failed relationships; we want to inspire them to believe in the beauty of love; we also want to teach about personal and couple resilience ,” she said.

Denise said the event is being supported by the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs.

“This ministry deals intimately with the many issues of family in our communities and therefore saw the value in any initiative designed to build the family, recognizing as we do, that strong marriages and families, help to build a stronger nation,” she said.

Tickets for Strong Love The Journey are available for purchase from box offices including Emerald City Supermarket, Six Roads, and Carlton Supermarket, Black Rock; Standard Pharmacy on  Tweedside Road and CS Pharmacy on Broad Street.

(Write Right PR Services)