Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, bottles of champagne and bouquets of roses are all lovely traditional Valentine’s Day gifts.

But married couples of all ages across the diocese who would like to step out of the ordinary are invited to treat themselves to the diocesan World Marriage Day Champagne Luncheon Feb. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. in the romantic dining room of the Crystal Point Yacht Club, Point Pleasant. Hosted by the diocesan Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, this year marks the seventh year that World Marriage Day has been observed on a diocesan level with a celebration offering married couples an opportunity to enjoy an elegant lunch, an inspiring presentation on marriage and an opportunity to recite a special prayer on the Sacrament of Marriage.

Speakers for the 2012 celebration will be Jenn and Bill Maher who will focus on the theme, “Catholic Marriage in High-Def: Keeping It Holy, Healthy and Real.”

The Mahers are residents of Millstone and are members of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton. The couple serves in marriage ministry in both the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Trenton. They are trained presenters in the Theology of the Body-based marriage preparation program called “God’s Plan for a Joy-filled Marriage.”  

In the Trenton Diocese, they also serve on the diocesan Marriage Preparation ministry team, and Bill was the main presenter for a Marriage Ministry formation day in November 2010.

World Marriage Day is an annual event that was founded by Worldwide Marriage Encounter and is held on the second Sunday of February. The day is meant to honor the faithfulness and joy of daily married life and the positive impact that marriage has on the society, and within the community, the Church and throughout the nation.

The idea of an annual celebration of marriage began in Baton Rouge, La., in 1981, when local couples encouraged the mayor, the governor and the bishop to proclaim Valentine’s Day as “We Believe in Marriage Day.”

By 1982, 43 governors officially proclaimed the day, and celebrations spread to U.S. military bases in several foreign countries. In 1983, the name was changed to “World Marriage Day” to be officially celebrated each year on the second Sunday in February. In 1993, Pope John Paul II imparted his apostolic blessing on World Marriage Day, and World Marriage Day celebrations continue to spread to more countries each year.

World Marriage Day is a day that honors husband and wife as head of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily, married life.

Cost for the Feb. 12 World Marriage Day celebration is $75 per couple. To register, call 609-403-7151 or visit: www.dioceseoftrenton.org/worldmarriageday.