mrs2be.ie

[MrsMcGovern]

Hi girls,
Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me. My h2b and I had planned on doing the avalon course as it suits us for work and financialy- only on a sat and €120. A friend told me yesterday that they had done the avalon course already and the priest (diff church) told them it would not be accepted and that they needed to do another course with accord!!!
So I rang the church office and the woman was completely oblivious as to what they normally accept (she's worked there since I was around 10, you'd think someone would have asked before!). Waiting now for her to phone me back but if we have to go with accord, it costs €200 and we'd have to book either 1 or 2 days off work because it runs over 2 days-either Fri or sat or 2 weekdays! We'd loose between €200 and €400 as well as paying €80 more! It's so much money! I'm freaked out here. I've no problem doing the course-yeah its boring and a waste of money but its a requirement. There's also a massive waiting list for any of the courses near us so we'd have to travel!

[bingowings]

Yeah I'm afraid if you want to get married in a church sometimes the priests insist on the accord course. You should wait to see what the priest says before you book anything. Some priests don't mind so hopefully yours won't. Maybe tell the priest that due to work committments that the only one you can do is the avalon one and you do feel it's important to do it but that you just can't fit the accord one into your schedule.

[fromOHtoH]

I was in the exact same situation as you. I tried to cancel the Avalon course after speaking to the priest and got an email back to say they wouldnt give me the money back until they spoke to the priest, I didnt want to give out the priests name or number without his permission and I dont live near home so got my mother to speak to him. He looked it up online and then contacted another priest about it and came back and said it was ok to do the Avalon course.
One thing he did say was that it is not obligatory to do the course, I was under the impression that you have to do it, he said its only advised to do it, they cant not marry you if you dont do it.
Good luck with it, I hope it works out in your favour

[Littlemisscupcake]

Hi I have heard this also, so I asked my mum to ask our priest if we need to pick a specific course (she knows him better than I do) he said a catholic approved course. Avalon is Catholic approved so I am going to play stuipid as there is a huge difference between the two in price and we are in the same situation as you with work. My priest is all about saving money and not over spending on the wedding so fingers crossed.

[MrsMcGovern]

just heard back fromt the church and he's never heard of avalon and so wouldn't accept it but he said the accord and all hallows college in Dublin are the only Dublin courses he'd allow, we're marrying in Cork. All hallows is on a sat and is €150 (without lunch) or €167 (including lunch -soup & sandwich). Thank God for that! Anyone done this course?

[Hailey]

I've done the accord course and it cost €125 as far as i remember. Fri nite was 7 to 10 and sat 10 to 5.

[MrsMcGovern]

Hailey, the prices must have gone up or else you got a special offer. It's now 200, way too much money! But we've booked the all hallows one.

[Hailey]

I just checked online, we did it in thurles it was €120, i put in dublin n it was €200 wtf thats crazy its d same course like. At least u av it booked hun, it'll be over n done with.

[cant_stop_smiling]

We've booked the Accord course, its E200 in Dublin but so much cheaper elsewhere in the country. It's Friday night 8pm - 10.30pm and Saturday 10 - 5pm. Just wondering for all you Missies who have done your pre-marraige course...do we need to bring anything with us?

[letmeeatcake]

Nope, you don't need anything with you, just the will to stay awake through the whole thing!

[cant_stop_smiling]

Thanks!!!

[flomeo]

Just booked ours for December and it had to be accord, priest was very clear on that from outset

Booked in dublin for 200e and its friday evening from 8-10.30 and saturday day so you wouldnt have to take day off?


H2b wanted to do a shorter one but guess we just have to suck it up and keep the parish priest happy!

[MrsMcGovern]

It's crazy that they're able to charge different prices in different counties! Ah well it's paid for now and it'll all be over next Saturday eve, so no point in complaining I suppose! Another thing off the list!

[bubbles909]

We have to do the Accord one too, and they do charge different prices depending on where it is. Its crazy! We are doing it in Thurles too, as it was the cheapest. Doing it in December, what was it like Hailey?

[MrsMcGovern]

DONE!!! Phew!
Most of it was actually very interesting! The 2 women were funny and only got boring for the last hour and a half! The basic lay out was, they spoke along with the use of a projector on a variety of issues' mostly communications etc. We were given a booklet each with some questionaires. We each filled out the questions and then swapped booklets to see each others answers. No one else saw our answers- we were worried about this.
The religious part was the best part! Fr Eugene was hilarious! So down to earth. A young guy walked in in baggy jeans, a big baggy hoody and started making jokes and just telling stories and giving (funny) advise on how one the most important advise for any bride is to practise walking up steps in the dress! This came along with him showing us what a bride in a fishtail dress looked like, all demure on the day and couldn't walk onto the alter because the dress was too tight!!! Anyway, some great advise and I soooooooooo wish he could be our priest!
We got some great advise, had a bit of a laugh, a nice lunch and it was only boring for a little of the day!

The part we hated was the "best way to argue" part, we had to sit knee to knee and do a fake argument. Only we heard it thank God! The "right way" is one person holds the speaker card and says what the issue is "I feel that you........." then the listener says "I here that you think I did.......". Then you pass over the the speaker card the other person gets there say. To be honest we both got the giggles and couldn't manage it but when the 2 women came around they were lovely and told us that if we EVER wanted to contact them with help then to call them (even if it's 5 years down the line).

I'd def recommend this course to anyone who really isn't all that bothered and who's a bit nervous about doing the course!