He Proposed In The Parking Lot!

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“I was determined to meet my future spouse the way I wanted to – leaving very little room for God,” Mikaila remembers, and as such was very resistant to online dating. But, nobody came along in her way of doing things. Since she felt called to marriage, she brought it up with her spiritual director, who nudged her to start taking some concrete steps towards her vocation. So In January of 2020, Mikaila reluctantly signed up for CatholicMatch, but only for one month.

“I was so sure that I wasn’t going to meet my future spouse online that I didn’t want to invest more than $30 on something I thought wouldn’t work!  Of course, the Lord’s ways are not our own,” Mikaila recalls.

Daniel joined CatholicMatch only two weeks later, and his profile popped up in Mikaila’s New Members section.

Mikaila immediately noticed how Daniel described his faith as the moral compass in his life--the very same analogy she often made herself. He came from a similar cultural background, and it didn’t hurt that he was tall and handsome to boot. Even though he was two hours away, further than she was comfortable traveling, Mikaila impulsively typed out a message and hit send.

Daniel saw her message immediately and responded quickly, taking the lead by asking if Mikaila was free for a date that coming weekend. So one week later, the Ontario natives met for their first date.  They decided on meeting at a coffee shop in Mikaila's hometown for their first date--she arrived early to pick a good seat, and was so nervous, that she switched spots three times before Daniel arrived! Conversation flowed wonderfully, and they learned about each other's respective jobs: he is an accountant, and she’s an Educational Consultant at a local hospital.

Three months into dating, the first of two pandemic lockdowns began.

As such, their relationship had to quickly progress from normal to much more isolated than they’d planned. But they made the best of it, working hard to spend time together in real life and virtually. “It forced us to communicate better and really appreciate and value all of our one on one time,” Mikaila explains, saying how the lockdown did have some positive outcomes for their relationship after all.

In our area of Canada, COVID cases were particularly high and we experienced 2 lockdowns before we were married.

After four months of pandemic dating, making seven months of dating total, Daniel and Mikaila went ring shopping together. But Daniel kept the proposal plans a secret. On July 17th of 2020, he and Mikaila had their usual routine of meeting halfway between their cities for a date. Mikaila had had a trying morning at her work at a Catholic hospital, where she serves as an educational consultant. Though they had discussed engagement already, she was not expecting Daniel to pop out of his car and get down on one knee right there in the parking lot.

“He had picked up the ring that week and couldn’t wait to propose, so he did it the first chance he had,” she says of the spontaneity. 

They originally planned on marrying spring of 2021, but due to rising pandemic restrictions, the couple rescheduled to January 30th of 2021.

They were unable to have a reception and were only allowed to have ten people in the cathedral for the wedding ceremony. The didn't deter them, since they were focused on their Sacrament. "I know it may sound cliche, but when I was walking down the aisle, I couldn't tell you whether five or 500 people were there!" Mikaila remembers. Their family and friends waited outside the cathedral during the wedding and threw surprise confetti when the newlyweds emerged.

The two are currently settling into their new house this year, and along with that are in the fourth social lockdown since their relationship began.

Their favorite parts of marriage have included never having to say goodbye, going to Mass together, and having family and friends over to their home for dinners. The hardest part has been adjusting to each other’s habits and routines, the learning curve most couples go through as they figure out how to blend two lives into a harmonious one together. Their Catholic faith remains the cornerstone of their relationship, and through it they see all challenges and blessings together.

They look back with fondness on their online meetup, unique dating life, and of course a spontaneous proposal and quick wedding, grateful for how God has guided them.

“It’s true what they say – when you know, you know!” Mikaila says.

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