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I think we all want to know one simple question: does online dating work? Most of us have changed our thinking to the new way of meeting people and dating, but it’s really hard those for us who have decided to do it the old-fashioned way. I thought that, too, but after going through college without a single love interest (I promise, I wasn’t desperate!), I thought that Catholic Match might be an option for me.
In terms of Catholic dating sites, Catholic Match is by far the best. But I’m obviously biased if I met my husband there! I tried Catholic Singles and did not like it nearly as well. I found out there are even more options for Catholic men and women looking for their spouses. There’s the Catholic Dating Club, there’s Meet Local Catholics, Catholic Dating for Free, and a few others. I have not even set foot on those sites, mostly because I found what I needed at Catholic Match.
All I can think of right now is the Farmer’s Only commercials with the cheesy jingle, “You don’t have to be lonely, at farmersonly.com!” It is legitimately playing over and over in my head as I write this.
How I Found My Match
But, let’s get down to business (…to defeat the Huns…). How did I meet my husband on Catholic Match? I know you are all dying to know! Luckily, I took notes soon after it happened, so I actually remember it. (Mom brain cells make a lot of things go away!)
It was shortly after I had started my new teaching job fresh out of college. I was back in my home state after going to college in another state. I had tried Catholic Match in college and talked to one guy for a couple of weeks before he told me that he didn’t feel the ‘spark.’ I totally thought I was already in love with this guy! Ha, anyway…
I decided to get back on Catholic Match, took the leap, and paid for 3 months or a year, I think, on a really great deal. I was over at my friend *Stacie’s house on a Tuesday, September night and I told her that I had found a few interesting matches in the area. She wanted to see, so I showed her who I had found.
One guy, in particular, stood out to both of us (I knew he was in the area, and she actually knew who he was, she had gone to high school with him!), so we viewed his profile. I was scared to do it before because I knew that he would see that I had viewed his page. It was a nice profile; he had several pictures of himself, a few on tractors and a few with family. I could see he was tall (6’4″, Hallelujah comin’ from a 5’11” girl!), that he was 32, and a farmer.
Already he seemed like a great possibility, but I would never be the first to message him, I was too scared.
Meeting My Match
Well, that Saturday was a concert at the lake. My sister was in town to go with me, so we could have fun as two single women. We had a great time at the concerts, ate some good food and listened to country music artists. After the show, the bar downtown was holding an after party. We decided to go.
Lo and behold, who was there? The guy I had viewed on Catholic Match! It freaked me out, and I pointed him out to my sister. It also so happens that my friend Stacie was at the after-party, too. I go and tell her (why did I do that??) and of course, she says, “Let me introduce you two!”
(Side note: I don’t really know why I was so scared to meet him, probably because I knew he had seen that I had viewed his profile and he never viewed mine back. Keep this also in mind, I am pretty awkward meeting new people, and meeting guys I might potentially date just adds a whole new level of awkward for me!)
Well, we met. I was in awe of his tallness, his tanned skin (farmer’s tan, mind you), his glasses (those were not on his online profile!), and of course, his handsomeness. Stacie had told me he was quiet and shy, so I guess I expected that, though he didn’t come across like that. We met and then went our own ways for the rest of the night. He told me later that his first impression of me was that I laughed a lot and had a good smile.
Getting to Know Each Other
Come Sunday, I receive a message from him through Catholic Match. Now that I had viewed his profile, and he had actually met me, he thought it okay to start messaging me. He talked later about how it was like a brick hitting him in the head, telling him to message me, to find out what ‘this’ was all about. We used the Catholic Match message system for the next two days to converse and ask each other small-talk questions, like, “what do you like to do?”, “what are your favorite foods”, etc.
Wednesday morning I arrive at school and check my profile before school started. His message was asking if I wanted to go to dinner that Saturday! I was ecstatic and giddy, and I don’t think I thought straight the whole day! I had to postpone to the next Saturday because I was traveling that weekend for a retreat.
Poor guy, he thought I really wasn’t that interested in him. Needless to say, we went out that following Saturday, and I knew from the first date because there was a man who I would be interested in marrying.
So that’s how Catholic Match helped my husband and I meet. Even though we didn’t use the website that long to talk, it was the tool that sparked the conversation, that started everything. We were married in August of 2015, and I can honestly say that even though I never expected to meet my husband with online help, I always know that God works in mysterious and wonderful ways!
Don’t worry, I’ll continue our love story some other time! Click here to read our Engagement Story.
How did you meet your loved one? Did you use a dating site? If so, which one? Comment below!
*Name changed
You may also enjoy reading:
How Your Love Language Can Change,
Embracing Your Engagement Story
I Hope My Husband Gets What He Deserves
How I’m Learning to Strengthen My Marriage
3 Catholic Ways to Combat Loneliness
