A Couples Academy weekend · Friday to Sunday · Live at your church
The Audacity of Marriage Weekend
Three days to choose each other again. Friday to Sunday with Hasani & Danielle Pettiford, built from the topics your church chooses: love, communication, intimacy, money and the courage it takes to stay.
It takes audacity to stay married.
Anyone can fall in love. Staying in love through the bills, the kids, the hurt and the silence takes nerve. It takes two people who keep choosing each other on purpose.
This weekend is for couples in every season, from those who are doing well and want more, to those holding on by a thread. They will laugh, talk about things they have avoided, and leave with tools they can use on Monday morning.
Hasani and Danielle teach from 24 years of their own marriage. Early on they struggled with communication, sex, finances, family and expectations. Instead of quitting, they learned how to rebuild. Now they show couples how.
12 topics
Choose what your couples need
Every church is different. Your church chooses the topics for its weekend from the list below, and we build the schedule around them.
Anchored in Love
Every marriage is held together by anchors like children, finances and shared history. Couples learn what keeps them together, how those same anchors can quietly replace intimacy over time, and how to choose love on purpose.
The Enneagram
Most conflict comes from two different personalities misreading each other. Using the Enneagram, couples discover how each spouse is wired, what drives their reactions under stress, and how to communicate in ways the other can receive.
7 Domains of Intimacy
Intimacy is far more than sex. Couples explore the seven domains of intimacy, learn how marriages slowly lose them after the wedding, and leave with practical ways to rebuild closeness in every area of their relationship.
Breakthrough Communication
Most fights are set up long before anyone speaks. Drawing from Before You Said a Word, couples uncover what is really driving the arguments they keep having and learn to talk so their spouse can truly hear them.
Irreplaceable Husband
The man determines the quality of the marriage. Husbands learn the true role of a husband and how to love, serve and honor their wives in ways she can see and feel, leading their home with consistency and humility.
Suitable Helper
Wives explore what Scripture says about the role of a wife and the duties God gives her in marriage, and what it looks like to walk that calling out with strength, wisdom and grace in a modern marriage.
Our Money
Money fights are rarely about money. Couples look at the beliefs, habits and hidden debts each spouse brings into the marriage and learn how to build financial unity, security and wealth together as one team, not two.
The Marriage Bed
A satisfying sex life takes intention, not luck. Couples learn the 12 pathways to erotic intelligence, approach intimacy as an ongoing discovery, and leave with practical tools for a sex-cessful marriage that keeps growing over the years.
The Intimacy Workshop
An interactive session where spouses put what they have learned into practice together. Couples work through guided exercises designed to open honest conversation, rebuild closeness and help them reconnect with each other before they leave.
Marriage Mindset
Every spouse brings beliefs into the marriage that shape how they love, argue and decide. Couples uncover the thinking patterns that quietly damage connection and learn to align two minds to build an extraordinary marriage.
Kingdom Marriage
Marriage was designed by God with a purpose bigger than two people. This message explores marriage as God intended it, the covenant behind it, and how couples can carry a Kingdom view of marriage home to their families.
Healing a Hurting Marriage
For couples who have experienced a crisis, a rupture or a betrayal. This workshop addresses both the individual healing each spouse needs and the marital restoration they need together, with a clear structure for rebuilding trust.
How the weekend flows
Friday night to Sunday service
Friday
Evening
- Couples game night to break the ice
- Welcome and the first teaching session
Saturday
Morning to early afternoon, then date night
- Two teaching sessions on the topics your church chose
- A 90-minute men's and women's breakout with both Hasani and Danielle
- A date night assignment to put it into practice
Sunday
With your congregation
- The Sunday sermon to the whole congregation
- Or a workshop before or after service
Included for every attendee
How healthy is your marriage?
Every couple who attends takes the Couples Academy marriage assessment. It evaluates the health of the marriage, measures the risk in the relationship, and helps couples see what needs their attention so they can manage it well.
The weekend is where the journey starts. The assessment shows each couple where they stand, and the sessions give them the tools to keep their relationship healthy long after Sunday.
- Shows each couple where their marriage is strong and where it needs attention
- Measures the level of risk in the relationship so it can be managed properly
- Gives every couple a clear starting point for the weekend and beyond
Your hosts
Hasani & Danielle Pettiford
Hasani and Danielle are the co-founders of Couples Academy, married for 24 years and parents of four. Early in their marriage they struggled with communication, sex, finances, family and expectations. Rather than walk away, they became marriage and family coaches to rebuild their own relationship, and now they walk other couples through the same work.
They bring two complementary strengths to the room. Hasani is an infidelity recovery specialist trained in mediation and Gottman methods. Danielle is a relationship crisis specialist, a master of Enneagram typology and an ICF-certified executive coach.
Together they have written more than 20 books on marriage, speak at marriage, leadership and corporate conferences, and have worked with professional athletes and teams.
In their words
What pastors and ministry leaders say
Hasani and Danielle Pettiford are truly exceptional communicators and transformational leaders. Their ability to combine biblical wisdom, practical marriage principles, and real-life experiences is extraordinary. They didn’t just deliver a powerful message; they created an atmosphere of healing, hope, and breakthrough. Couples left encouraged, marriages were strengthened, and our congregation was deeply impacted. Their ministry is a gift to the Body of Christ.
Hasani and Danielle were absolutely phenomenal! Their authenticity, passion, humor, and depth of wisdom captivated our audience from beginning to end. They have a remarkable ability to challenge perspectives, address difficult conversations, and inspire lasting transformation. What they brought to our conference went far beyond an inspiring presentation—it was a life-changing experience. They exceeded every expectation.
We invited Hasani and Danielle to pour into the marriages of our church, and what they delivered was nothing short of transformational. They helped couples understand each other in ways they hadn’t before, challenged them to address difficult issues, and equipped them with practical tools to rebuild connection, restore intimacy, and strengthen their marriages. Our couples walked away with renewed hope, deeper understanding, and a fresh vision for their future. The impact of their teaching will continue long after the conference.
Book resources
Keep the weekend going at home
Every topic draws on a book Hasani and Danielle have written. Available in paperback and Kindle, and in bulk for churches and small groups.
The Audacity of Marriage
Anchored
The Seven Domains of Intimacy
Before You Said a Word
Irreplaceable Husband
Marriage Mindset
Let's Agree to Agree
Our Money
Married to the Game
Moving Forward After Infidelity
Trusting Again
Becoming Trustworthy Again
Stop Lying
7 Days of Extraordinary Sex
Skin Pleasure
Study Your Wife
100 Day Husband Challenge
101 Ways to Love My Wife
101 Ways to Love My Husband
UnearthedOrdering copies for your congregation or small groups? Ask about bulk pricing.
For pastors & ministry leaders
Bring the weekend to your church
Built for churches of every size, including those without a large events budget. Couples pay for their own tickets, so the weekend costs your church very little up front.
Request a weekendTakes about two minutes. We'll follow up within a few business days.
- 1You provide the room and the people
Your venue, A/V, volunteers and promotion to your congregation.
- 2You cover our travel and lodging
Flights and hotel for Hasani and Danielle for the weekend.
- 3Couples register for the weekend
$99 per couple early bird, $150 per couple after the cut-off. Ticket proceeds are split between the ministry and Couples Academy.
- 420 couple minimum
Invite neighboring churches to fill the room. We'll help you promote it.
Free for pastors & planning teams
The Host Guide
Everything your church needs to successfully host The Audacity of Marriage Weekend, in one step-by-step guide. Hand it to your pastor and planning team and they'll know exactly what to do, from the first conversation to the Monday after.
- A six-month planning timeline
- Team roles and volunteer briefing
- Budget, ticket split and fundraising ideas
- Promotion plan and ready-to-use copy
- Couples game night ideas
- Weekend schedule and room setup
- Recording, follow-up and checklists
- Sample host agreement
Get the Host Guide
Share your name, email and phone, and the full guide (PDF) is yours to download right away.
Get the Host GuideReady to talk dates? Request a weekend.
Questions
Is this only for struggling marriages?
No. It's for any married couple. Strong marriages get stronger, and couples in a hard season get a clear path forward.
How long is the weekend?
Friday evening through Sunday service, about eight hours of teaching in total. Saturday ends mid-afternoon so couples have a real date night.
How much lead time do you need?
We recommend at least three months, so your church has time to promote the weekend and reach the 20 couple minimum.
Will couples have to share in front of the group?
No. Interactive moments happen between spouses, not in front of the room.
What is the ticket and refund policy?
Tickets are non-refundable but transferable. A couple who can't attend may give or sell their ticket to another couple, or move it to a future Audacity of Marriage weekend.
If the weekend is canceled or rescheduled by the host church or Couples Academy, couples may transfer to the new date or receive a full refund.
If the 20 couple minimum isn't met by the deadline set with the host church, the weekend moves to a new date and registered couples choose between transferring or a full refund.
A couple needs more than a weekend. What then?
They can book a free 30-minute discovery call with us to explore private coaching options.