On October 16th, 2023, Elmer and Catherine were walking through the Hot Springs Garden in Arkansas.
It was just one hour before the gardens closed...
Earlier that day, Elmer had gotten very sick from a bad case of nerves! It frustrated him and threw Catherine off the scent, as she had suspected a proposal coming at that very place.
“My mother and sisters (were) spamming my phone asking if he had proposed yet, because, of course, I had told them about our plans!” she recalls.
Despite the sick day and late arrival, the couple forged ahead and began to enjoy the surroundings. They reached a beautiful koi pond with a dragon sculpture, reminiscent of his favorite show Avatar. So much so that Catherine started videoing the koi fish and talking about the episodes, which gave Elmer the chance to get down on one knee and pull out the ring box.
When Catherine turned around, she gasped.
“You got me the ring I wanted!”
To which he replied, “Of course, I did. You sent me the link!”
The ring in question was designed like the rose from Beauty and The Beast, Catherine’s favorite film.
The two had been dating for about a year and a half, after meeting on CatholicMatch in June of 2022.
Catherine had been a member for six years, after making an account in her early twenties–and her impression was mostly of frustration at all the conversations that had petered out and led nowhere. So when Elmer reached out and suggested a date just three days later, she found it refreshing but didn’t get her hopes up.
She did appreciate that he’d written his profile specifically stating his desire for a faith-based relationship, when she herself had referenced St Gianna’s famous quote about a true Christian marriage. They were both local Arkansas natives, as well as mental health counselors–in fact, Catherine was just finishing the program 26-year-old Elmer was beginning.
So three days after connecting online, they met up for a real-life date on a rainy Wednesday.
“I think he was nervous, because when I arrived at the pizza restaurant, he had already been waiting for me at a small table with an anxious look on his face, so much that he had difficulty making eye contact!” Catherine says. She found his nerves endearing, and soon they discovered that they had been to Mass at the same places.
“Truth be told, I did see Cathy in Mass once before because she wore a veil, so that drew my attention,” Elmer says.
Soon after, they made things official and began to see each other regularly.
One particular date made a strong impression on Elmer. Catherine took him to meet one of her elderly friends, and he watched his girlfriend helping the beloved senior eat the food they brought.
“In the moment, it showed me what God wants us to do. To serve, not be served,” he said. From there on out, he felt a strong sense of peace about this relationship moving toward marriage.
Like all couples, they faced challenges along the way. In the fall, Catherine faced pressure from her social circle against her new relationship. So, she broke up with him! But it only lasted three weeks, and by October, she knew she wanted to give the relationship a real chance.
“We decided to try again and not let other people get in the way,” she remembers.
For his part, Elmer struggled with some unaddressed anger in his personal life, and he found it was getting in the way of making a sincere, genuine romantic connection with Catherine. “It was not until I slowly dropped my defenses that we began to have more open dialogue. We are continuing to have better conversations!” he says. The couple ensured to work together and build solid trust, making each other better and keeping the communication strong.
On June 1st, 2024, seven months after the proposal, the couple was joined in Holy Matrimony at a lovely Beauty And The Beast themed wedding.
“Now that I think of it, we did have an Avatar-inspired engagement thanks to Elmer, so it was only fair!” Catherine laughs.
Continue Reading
