Juan and Trena have both been on CatholicMatch for over a decade.
But, now, their search is finally over!
In February of 2021, Juan and Trena began talking on CatholicMatch. They instantly clicked with each other on the app. Trena attributed a lot of her initial attraction to Juan to the personalized and very thoughtful message he sent to her the first time they chatted.
After that message, she knew she had to give him a chance!
Trena said that the main reason she gave Juan a chance was because of the detailed message he sent her. She said that in the past, her experience with online dating had been subpar. Most men had sent her messages that were unoriginal and showed little personalization. Worst of all, some of the messages were filled with typos or bad grammar!
Still, she felt that in the 21st century, online dating has become essential for dating success. She was attracted to CatholicMatch because it seemed like a close-knit community.
His effort went a long way...
When Juan first messaged Trena, he asked questions that she could answer easily and showed that he had read her whole profile before reaching out to her.
Juan said, “It’s up to us [men] to start things… Yeah, it means putting in a lot more effort for somebody who may never answer. But, you know what? The good one will require that much effort so, yeah, you’re gonna have to put that much effort into everyone you talk to.”
Juan’s efforts definitely paid off. Despite living very far apart, Juan and Trena clicked enough after two weeks of conversation that they decided to meet for a first date in March 2021. Juan got on a plane and flew to Georgetown to meet with Trena.
They shared a lot of common interests and the conversation was easy between them. Trena noted how she was attracted to Juan because of his intelligence, respectability, and his good looks. “He is also amazingly considerate.”
Things grew quickly after that!
After their first date, they traveled frequently to see each other, and video-chatted often. They discussed their intentions for marriage openly with each other. From the very beginning, they knew they were both discerning marriage.
Open communication and consideration for each other have kept them connected in their relationship. Trena said that any time she felt any doubt or fear, as soon as she communicated about it to Juan, the fear would go away.
It was easier for Juan to travel to Trena because he worked from home, and had a friend in the area who would allow him to crash at his apartment. One of their most memorable dates was when Trena went to Puerto Rico in July to visit Juan’s family. They share a nice memory of drinking Pina Coladas together on the beach.
In the fall, Juan had the opportunity to travel to Trena’s area and stay for an entire month. During the fall before their engagement, they spent a month in the same area and saw each other much more frequently. This only confirmed their intentions!
He hyped up the big night for weeks!
In mid-December, Juan purchased tickets to an Andre Bocelli concert in New York City. Juan made reservations at the Sparks Steak House in NYC, a famous location where mobster Paul Castellano was killed. According to Trena, he would not stop talking about his reservation and how “unforgettable” it would be for weeks. It got to the point where she was beginning to worry that he would be disappointed when they got there.
“I don’t think this steak is going to be as good as you think it will be,” Trena said to him as they prepared to travel from Washington, DC to NYC. Little did Trena know, she was in for a big surprise! Juan proposed to Trena shortly before their reservation, and then they enjoyed a romantic dinner together that they are sure to never forget.
They are planning their wedding for 2022.
They said that wedding planning is going smoothly; they already have a church and a venue secured. They are mostly looking forward to not being single and not having to travel after the wedding. Both Juan and Trena expressed that they are “tired of living out of suitcases” and are looking forward to living together after marriage.
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