As a Group

• Group retreats work well in large, private areas such as the mountains or a large ranch. The quarters can be private bedrooms within a large home or lodge, or a string of smaller cabins and guest houses. A remote location offering "couples" activities would serve the purpose best. Perhaps two-person spas, horseback riding, a path to hike or take walks and picnic lunches with a sheet under the trees would be ideal.
  
  For larger groups, while group activities will most likely be planned, it is of utmost importance to allow for plenty of one-on-one time for each couple. Having too many other people around can be distracting and take away from the point of a marriage retreat. Perhaps structured meal times and either an afternoon or after-dinner group activity would be sufficient for counsel within the group as a whole, while leaving large blocks of time for the couple to be alone.
  
  

One on One

• In lieu of, or in addition to traditional marriage counseling, retreats with a therapist help focus the couple on their own personal behavior and what needs to change for the relationship to withstand current and future issues. This can take place in a small cabin in the mountains, a secluded lake or beach house, basically anywhere that the couple and therapist will be undisturbed and maintain privacy. Even a hotel room in another city would work. The focused time and attention on the relationship can be better than long, drawn-out counseling sessions, especially if hectic schedules or privacy issues are of concern to the couple. This can be done one-on-one if you just need to refocus the relationship without dealing with additional issues such as infidelity. Mini-vacations where the two of you will have large amounts of undisturbed alone time work well, too. These can include renting a condo on the beach or taking a cruise.
  
  Nature tends to be healing all on its own, which is the reason most retreats are set up in secluded areas that include fresh air, the breeze, open spaces or water (the mountains or beach, for instance).
  
  

Mini-Retreat

• A mini-retreat can be a couple of hours or one night, or even a weekend away. You can do this as a couple alone just to rejuvenate the relationship. Special time set aside for just the two of you with no interruptions on a continuous basis makes for a solid foundation on which you get to know each other better as individuals, as well as strengthen your relationship as a united couple. This can be an intimate dinner once a month, a quick trip to the beach, a weekly hike or even one night in the hotel down the street. Focused time for just the two of you is the important factor.
  
  Above all, leave little nit-picky problems at home. Don't complain about work, or things that need to be done around the house. Instead, focus totally on each other, your love and desire to be happy together and specific issues that need to be resolved. Refrain from name-calling or blaming each other. Instead, try complimenting each other on the positive things that made you fall in love in the first place.