He Fooled His Police Officer Girlfriend with Surprise Proposal
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"I feel like I messaged a million people on Catholicmatch before Collin and I found each other", shares Beth, 31. "After the first time we talked on the phone, I knew that he'd turn out to be someone special in my life,"
Collin, 31, also felt like he'd written to so many members and that the process took considerable time; however, he says, "I discovered a lot about myself along the way."
On-again-off-again relationship...
In July 2021, after numerous phone calls and texts and an on-again-off-again relationship, Collin traveled from Florida to Oregon for the first time to meet Beth. Finally, seeing each other in person felt amazing, especially after their promising relationship initially ended abruptly. More than a year prior, Collin put the brakes on their three-month-long relationship, which came as a big surprise to Beth because she felt so sure he was "the one."
At the beginning of their romance, Collin got caught up in the clouds, but then he began thinking about the logistics of their relationship long-term. He realized that he'd have to move to Oregon if he wanted to marry Beth. In January 2020, he broke the relationship off.
In April 2021, he reached out to Beth because he needed to talk to someone. Hurt by the breakup, Beth said she felt like putting up a wall, but she decided that she could behave as a friend towards him and not get involved emotionally. However, that phone call resurrected the feelings they shared for one another, and they continued to speak to one another every day.
Three months after getting back together, they finally met in person. "It took a few minutes to connect the physical presence with the voice I'd been hearing for so long," she explains. "With any long-distance relationship, it takes some time to get to know each other again."
Beth recalls how much she enjoyed spending time at the beach with Collin as he saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
He has her back, no matter what.
Beth and Collin grew closer and closer, having realized after their initial separation that they shared something special. Collin's good sense of humor and supportive nature felt particularly important to Beth because of her stressful job. She works in law enforcement, so she especially appreciated that Collin understood the police lifestyle. His understanding of her challenging work life helped their relationship progress smoothly.
"My dad worked in law enforcement, so I could relate to Beth's crazy life," he says.
He planned a New Year's Eve cookie proposal!
After almost six months of dating, Collin planned to pop the question on New Year's Eve. He bought Crumbl Cookies for Beth, and as was his tradition, and he hid them in her house. Only this time, there lay a ring box nestled among the cookies.
"I found the cookies on the first try. Collin put them in the oven!" Beth laughs.
"When she opened the box of cookies, I got down on my knee and asked her to be my wife," he remembers.
While not an easy feat, Collin succeeded in surprising Beth despite her expertise as a cop. She felt speechless when she saw a diamond ring. "I felt in total shock that he had pulled one over on me!"
She adds, "I came home from spending the day with my best friend, and I knew Collin bought cookies. We have a cute little tradition where he hides the cookies, and I find them, so I didn't think he had put anything special in the box."
When Beth finally opened the cookie box, she spotted a ring box with the cookies. "I started laughing and crying, of course."
They felt immense peace on their wedding day.
On July 16th, 2022, they joined their lives in Holy Matrimony at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mount Angel, Oregon. Beth shares that although she and Collin generally have anxious and perfectionist personalities, they felt a sense of peace surrounding their wedding day—despite the wild and crazy days leading up to their wedding.
"Our priest contracted COVID two days before our wedding, so we scrambled to find a new priest. Then my makeup artist got COVID the day before, so life threw all these things at us at once," she recalls.
But Beth and Collin took the inconveniences in stride. "At the end of the day, only getting married mattered," they thought.
The "first look" brought tears to their eyes!
Beth fondly recalls a wedding day memory that took place before the Mass. "We did a first look in the choir loft of the church. And I didn't expect to get emotional," she shares. "I thought, 'This moment has been at the root of my prayers since I was a tiny kid.'"
She adds, "We both started crying before he even turned around."
Beth expected to cry again during their vows, but a feeling of peace washed over her.
"He's the man I've waited for. And I'm so glad I waited because I cannot picture a better partner, teammate, husband… It was worth the wait, which is such a cliche that everyone says. It's true though. I can't imagine anyone better than Colin," she closes.
Beth and Collin are now expecting a baby girl in 2023!