In a beautiful Victorian at a storybook inn in Gainesville, Florida. 

We will convene for a magical evening of Union

between the masculine and feminine.  

Come and nourish the body and soul in deep communion

for an afternoon and evening.

What is the Union Dinner? 

The Union Dinner is a 6-hour experiential deep dive workshop on masculine/feminine relating for women, men, and non-binary people that includes a 5-course, chef-prepared meal. 

The experience is highly interactive, sensual, revealing, and healing. So much more than could be offered in a lecture format. It’s deep soul work, organically woven into the fabric of an intimate fine dining experience.

No previous experience with this work is required. It’s both a great place to begin and the right place to deepen.

What can you expect from attending? :

• A better sense of what is meant when we talk about the masculine and feminine
• More clarity about what feminine/masculine-identified people in your life want and need from you
• More clarity about what you want and need
• An enhanced ability to communicate about all of the above
• Great food
• A warm environment for deep connection with some new friends you’re soon to love

Who is this right for?

This event is for curious adults across the spectrum - single, partnered, men, women, non-binary, of all sexual orientations. 

You will need an open mind and a willingness to connect with others, but, beyond that, we've got everything covered. 

It’s great for newbies who are just exploring these ideas for the first time and even for the seasoned veterans who teach them. The format is based on connecting deeply with others, so your level of exposure to the material is always just right. 

It’s not necessary to have a partner to join. We take care of making sure we have a balance of masculine and feminine aspects at the table.

We encourage everyone to play in your organic dominant type, even if that's not your default state. If you're not sure which side of the table you'd like to play on, please reach out to us in advance to discuss this. 

To create an intimate shared experience, we have a limited number of seats for dinner. 

It's been our experience that solo feminine seats fill quickly, so if that's you, we encourage you to act quickly. If seats fill, we will make a waitlist available.  

*Please note that not all areas of the property are accessible to people with mobility concerns. Please let us know in advance if this is a concern, and we will plan accordingly. 

Coming As A Couple

While it doesn't matter if you come as a couple or a single, you should know that you'll engage with everyone at the event over the course of the evening.

If you're looking for support for the specific dynamics inside of your partnership, we recommend that you "make it a weekend". That means you'll have a call with Kianga prior to the retreat to understand your goals, a private coaching session during the weekend, and a follow-up call after the event, as well as time on-site to debrief your experience over Sunday brunch. 

Since it's probably taken a while to arrive at your current dynamic, you'll want to give yourself some time and space to understand it better and to cultivate new skills to make it even more compassionate and nourishing.

Singles Deep Dive 

The best time to work on your relating skills is while you're single.

One thing you know for sure is that your last relationship didn't work out. You don't need to wait until your next relationship is on the line to explore why. 

The most consistent factor in your relationships is YOU! So give yourself the gift of time to deep dive into not just what you're seeking but how to cultivate the skills to actually have it. 

Sometimes what you need might be a deeper connection to your own independent experience of pleasure. Or it might be that you have some misunderstandings around how to show up in your masculine or feminine in a way that gets your true needs met. 

We'll get deep into the research and craft an experience that allows you to explore these things in a way that is fun, nourishing, and supported.  

The Venue

Featured on the popular PBS television series, “Inn Country USA,” The Sweetwater Branch Inn is a Victorian complex of two carefully restored Victorian-era mansions (the McKenzie House and the Cushman-Colson House), charming guest cottages, a modern reception hall, and beautifully sculptured gardens. At every turn, one can see a true testament to the finest in preserved Victorian Florida. 

February 15, 2025

3:00 - 9:00pm 

Come as early as 2pm and explore the grounds. 

 *Further details on arrival and parking will be shared after registration. 

About Our Co-Host

Cornelia Holbrook, Visionary Creatrix and Owner of Sweetwater Branch Inn 

When Cornelia reached out to us with enthusiastic interest in hosting a Union Dinner, we knew her as a warm and engaged participant in some of Love + Freedom Education's short programs. We now know her to be a wildly-generous, forward-thinking community leader, with a heart for social justice and a deeply curious spirit. We couldn't ask for a better co-host for our Gainesville dinner. 

We're excited to share her story with you...

At the youthful age of 15, I – Cornelia Holbrook – began to dream of the day when I would open an inn. During my teen years, gardening and cooking became my favorite after-school activities. Later, while attending the University of Florida, I worked with Chef Elmo at the once-famous Sovereign Restaurant. This is where I began the process of educating myself about food preparation and kitchen management. After college, my first job was with the Carriage Way Bed & Breakfast in St. Augustine, Florida.

Afterwards, I spent a number of years working for my mother in the travel industry Even while traveling the world extensively, I never lost sight of my dream of opening what was to become the Sweetwater Branch Inn. While working in Kenya, I received an exciting call from my mother. She told me that she had purchased the Cushman-Colson House – literally next door to the McKenzie Home. In 1992, with the help of contractor Fredrick Wetterqvist, architect Jay Reeves, and many others, I embarked on the monumental task of restoring the Cushman-Colson House.

In 1993, I opened the Sweetwater Branch Inn using the Cushman-Colson Home’s 7 guestrooms. 

Today the Sweetwater Branch Inn’s two acre property is home to 12 distinct guestrooms and a variety of lovely cottages – all shaded by beautiful southern hammocks.

About the Food 

We work with talented local chefs who share our vision of bringing good food and deep communion together. We love the way this allows us to not only create exquisite dining experiences but also to literally share the wealth with other small businesses and creatives. 

We feel the same way about our florists, farmers, venues and other vendors!

Chef Alphonso Rosas is a leader and innovator in preserving artisan foods and sustainable family farming. An expert in locavorism, organic trending, and ingredient-driven meals, Chef Al is a visionary leader in the booming farm-to-plate movement. Through food, cooking classes, education, fun and farming, Chef Al brings the best of ingredients home, back to the family table, helping to sustain real foods for our future generations.

And, don't worry if you have particular dietary needs. Our meals are typically gluten-free to accommodate our founder, and we're happy to support your dietary needs as well. 

A little about me (your dinner facilitator and magical concierge)...
 

My name is Kianga Ford, and I’m the very real woman behind Love + Freedom Education. Just about a decade ago now, I transitioned from the world of scholarly research and fine arts practice into the zone of transformational experience design.  

Life, after all, is the highest form of art. 

In my previous life, I was a university professor and a fine artist, running one of the top fine arts programs in New York City and doing commissioned projects all over the world.

I’m now a full-time transformational educator, committed to supporting humanity to unlock our full potential and create a new earth. Helping people understand how to master and use the twin forces of creation that are masculine and feminine energy--the hard and the soft; the ambitious and the receptive; the giving and the receiving--so they can create the relationships, communities, and world of their dreams is one of my highest callings. 

Over the last ten years of working with men on reclaiming healthy masculinity without apology and helping women recover from the burnout of living in masculine overdrive and lean into more sustainable feminine power and leadership, I've seen how important it is to connect across the divide and to really see with compassionate eyes what things are like on the other side.

The Union Dinner was born five years ago from within a men's retreat I was hosting. I set out with a question--how could I serve the need I saw in this group of men to truly see and be seen by an honest and receptive group of women? Under all of our coaching conversations, there was a need to be understood, received, and appreciated.

It's probably the format of which I am most proud, because it allows people to engage from just where they are, even if they've never thought "personal development work" was for them.

I have a PhD (abd) in cultural theory and an MFA in fine art. I’m also a certified life coach, an Orgasmic Meditation trainer, and an ordained intuitive. But what really qualifies me to do this work is that I’ve walked this walk in the real world. In addition to working with hundreds of clients over the years, I've also been out there on the mean streets of Bumble and in the soul-rallying moments of being human with others who are unskilled but genuinely hungry for true connection. In an era of increasing disconnection and isolation, I think we owe it to each other to become more skilled at humaning and more adept at connecting. 

I look forward to serving you.