Ken, 33, joined CatholicMatch because he wanted to find a Catholic girl who shared his “geeky
interests.” He found that girl in Erica, 31. “I was interested in getting to know Erica because her profile mentioned sci-fi TV shows like Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” says Ken.
Erica was attracted to Ken’s profile because they seemed to have the same family background, hobbies, and habits. She says, “In Ken’s profile, he listed 'being active and being a geek' as his interests. Just before I met Ken, I started hiking and really grew to love it.” But even more important to Erica was Ken’s love of ‘geeky things.' She says, “Among my friends, I was the sole sci-fi fan. Being with Ken meant that I was finally able to embrace that side of me.”
First Date
After talking daily through email and on the phone several times, the couple met in person in July 2014—about one week after having met on CatholicMatch. “We had an enjoyable lunch and watched Guardians of the Galaxy. At the end, I said that the date went really well and I'd like to see him again. He smiled and tried to set up our next date on the spot! Our second date consisted of dinner and a stroll down a riverwalk, which was the first of our many hikes. By our third date, almost a month after meeting, we made it official,” says Erica.
Dating
One of the things that Erica and Ken bonded over was the long-running British television show Doctor Who. “While we were still chatting online, I mentioned that she should watch Doctor Who. A couple of days later, she was already on episode four,” says Ken. “We also share our faith by attending Mass together,” says Erica.
The couple was lucky enough to live about 30 miles away from each other, so they didn’t have to deal with the struggle of a long-distance relationship. “I would call it a mid-distance relationship. Any conflict we had over distance was that Erica was used to running on what she calls 'Filipino time' which means she was fashionably late to everything. She has since adapted to my strict punctuality—I feel bad when I'm even one minute late,” says Ken.
Proposal
On May 2, 2015, on the nine-month anniversary of their first date, Ken proposed in front of a
favorite waterfall in Matthiessen State Park during a hiking trip. “I brought her to a really nice waterfall and asked her what she thought of it, and then I dropped to my knee and asked her what she thought of getting married. There was a river of water leaking from her eyes,” says Ken.
Ken had brought along a friend—who also happened to be a professional photographer—so she was there to capture the moment. After their hike, the couple went to the photographer's farm where they took more pictures with a replica of the TARDIS from Doctor Who that the photographer had made. Ken also gave Erica a sapphire ring that, along with the wedding band, will resemble the TARDIS.
Telling the Family
Both Ken and Erica's families have been accepting of their relationships and were
“ecstatic” about their engagement.
The only reaction that Erica was concerned about was her father’s. She says, “My father lives in the Philippines and only met Ken once during his visit here in February, so he didn't know him well. After I accepted Ken's proposal, I was dying to tell my dad but couldn't reach him for hours because of the time difference. His phone was off, so I sent a Facebook message to my relatives there to have him call me as soon as he could. He called minutes later with concern in his voice. I asked if he was busy, and he said, ‘No, I was just feeding the chickens. What happened?’ Once we told him the news, he was so happy for us!”
Erica and Ken will tie the knot on December 19, 2015. Their reception will have elements from their favorite sci-fi shows: Doctor Who, Firefly, Serenity, and Star Wars.
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