If Krista's airport date with Jelson didn't work out, she figured she'd take a nap in the lounge.
Krista had plans to attend a two-day singles' retreat in Tagaytay City, which required her to fly from Manila to her home in Legaspi, Philippines. Jelson, from Manila, didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to meet Krista. On March 23, 2019, two weeks after connecting on CatholicMatch, Jelson suggested that they dine together at Mary Grace Cafe, located in Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
Late in the evening, Krista arrived at the airport. She found Jelson waiting for her at a corner table outside the cafe. Jelson, now 46, says, "I felt eager and hopeful (he'd been a CatholicMatch member for 10 years), and I was looking forward to meeting Krista."
"I saw him browsing his mobile phone. I took a good look first to make sure it's him, took a deep breath, and greeted him," recalls Krista, 35.
No nap for Krista!
The couple hit it off from the start. "We conversed from dinner to dawn," she recalls.
Jelson made a good impression because he listened intently to Krista and because he understood her taste in books even though they'd only been talking on CatholicMatch for a few weeks.
"He said that he'd been wanting to read 'Thank You For Being Late' by Thomas Friedman, who's one of his favorite authors, and thought to get it for me as an after-retreat gift," she says. "The title spoke to me."
As they talked, Krista noticed that behind Jelson, an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe decorated the wall. She took it as a sign that Our Lady approved of him.
When they parted, Krista gave Jelson the rosary bracelet she'd received from the retreat as a token for their successful first meeting.
He sent flowers, which assured her.
Even though Krista hit it off with Jelson, she didn't feel confident that he held feelings for her. During their first date, they talked about Krista's province, Legaspi, and he mentioned to her that he wanted to visit.
"I thought, 'He's just really interested in seeing the beauty of our place.' Then one afternoon, within the week after our meeting, he sent me a bouquet of flowers at my office with a note saying he's thinking of me," she recalls fondly. "That's when I knew that he had more than just an interested in visiting."
During the days between the first and second meetings, they exchanged a flurry of messages along with kind and thoughtful gestures, which they say "paved the way to building an affection for each other."
Krista adds, "Our CatholicMatch messages ended with a question or a statement warranting a reply. I think that's one of the things that kept the conversation going."
He didn't waste any time!
Jelson confirmed Krista's hunch when he flew the 205 miles from Manila to Legaspi the following week, on April 4, 2019, to visit her for five days. During this time, they defined the relationship and spoke of plans to marry, and Jelson took Krista's hand in his.
"I find it both funny and sweet when he only began to hold my hand after I agreed to be his girlfriend," she shares. "I can't remember us shaking hands nor him returning my friendly hug after chatting for more than six straight hours before we parted ways after our first meeting at the airport. It felt embarrassing when he just stretched out his arms while I was there giving him that friendly hug (no, I didn't even receive a pat in the back)."
However, eventually, Krista appreciated that Jelson's commitment to behaving gentlemanly.
A Holy Week proposal—a different kind of romantic.
Curious, Krista's mother quizzed her about Jelson. However, Krista refrained from saying much. She wanted Jelson to take the lead regarding the pace of the relationship.
A few weeks after their second meeting, Jelson returned to Legaspi to spend Holy Week and Easter with Krista. During this visit, Krista introduced him to her family. "He came to visit every day until that memorable Black Saturday family lunch. At my family's home, he finally said the words everyone felt secretly anxious about," she remembers.
On April 19, just shy of a month after their first date, Jelson professed his love for Krista in front of her parents, grandmother, brother, telling her that he wanted to marry her. "It felt far from how I thought a man would propose to me. He did not slip a ring on my figure or go-down-on-one-knee asking me to marry him," she says. "Instead, he proceeded to ask for my whole family for their blessing. It was a different kind of romantic."
Their engagement video plays like a movie
The couple made plans for their wedding to take place on May 30th. To introduce one another to friends and families on both sides, they made a save-the-date video.
"We decided we wanted a linear storyline to share about ourselves and retell how our relationship progressed while at the same time highlighting some of the places significant to our journey," they explain.
Their video plays out like a cute movie with two individuals living their own lives before meeting through CatholicMatch.com.
Then, a delayed wedding.
Due to COVID, Krista and Jelson rescheduled their wedding day for a month later. On June 30th, 2020, the couple said their wedding vows. Their priest allowed them to exchange personal vows after the standard liturgical formula. Sadly, because of the virus, only 25 of the originally intended 200 guests were present.
Despite missing many of their guests, "It was Our Lord God's blessing to our spiritual union, the vows, and the presence of the few of our family and friends that comprised the highlights of the day for us," they share.
All these wonderful memories are recorded on the couples charming wedding video:
Since the wedding...
Krista and Jelson are living in Manila, and they are expecting their first child in August 2021.
Continue Reading
