Megan had been struggling to find a Catholic gentleman in her area. Little did she know that her match was living nearby. After confiding in a local priest about her struggles to find a spouse, her priest said: “Isn’t there some kind of online dating site just for Catholics?”
The idea of looking for a husband online didn’t seem ideal to Megan. “I was hesitant at first, but who knew I would meet someone as amazing as Brian that lived just 20 minutes away? It’s crazy to think that our paths would have probably never crossed without CatholicMatch,” says the 25-year-old, from NC.
When Brian saw Megan’s profile, he was instantly captivated by her smile. “I made initial contact and since I didn't know how to use the messenger, I constantly sent her an emoji and about embarrassed myself,” says Brian, 24.
Megan adds, “He sent one with every message. We still laugh about that!”
Megan found herself very attracted to Brian’s goofy personality. She also liked that he had a close relationship with his family and that he talked a lot about them.
Dream First Date
After two weeks of talking, they met in person for the first time on May 10, 2014, at a local restaurant in Charlotte, NC called Red Rocks. Brian had a bouquet of daisies waiting on the table for Megan. Earlier that day he had delivered them to the restaurant, so Megan would have a nice surprise.
“Our first date was just nonstop laughter, she recalls.
Brian adds, “It lasted at least five hours and it was magical. I may or may not have sung to her and I knew that I wanted to marry her when I saw her smile and heard her laugh.”
“Brian has zero shame when it comes to singing in public, so he sang—loudly—to every Billy Joel song that came on the restaurant’s playlist. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time. I remember thinking multiple times that there was no way this was real life!” says Megan.
Meeting His “Brothers”
One of the most memorable dates for Megan was when she met Brian’s “brothers” of Knights of the Holy Queen, a household at Franciscan University where Brian is a member. She felt like meeting his friends was much more intense than any ‘meet the family’ scenario imaginable. “There was a dogpile involved. However, getting to know them has been even more of a confirmation of the amazing man of God that Brian is in my life. We are constantly surrounded by incredible men who support each other in their faith journey, and I am really looking forward to joining their family.”
Brian says that all of his most memorable dates with Megan involve inside jokes.
Making Time
For Megan and Brian, it was pretty much love at first sight for the both of them, however, the one relationship hurdle they had to deal with was time. Since both of them were in academia, there wasn’t a lot of time left for dating. “I am a middle school teacher and Brian is a graduate student in an MBA program. Our weekly schedules are often very busy with schoolwork. I personally think that dating a teacher is a huge challenge to anyone who can’t understand our 50+ hour work weeks or that we are never truly “off” during the summer,” she says.
On the flip side, since they both love teaching, they have many shared experiences. “Brian totally understands that it is, in fact, necessary for us to stock up on pencils or Tootsie Rolls when we see them on sale. He is unbelievably supportive of my career (he considers it a vocation) and while it has definitely created challenges for both of us, I also think it has given us so many opportunities to grow together spiritually and in our relationship.”
Engagement
On March 7, 2015, Brian proposed to Megan by having her go on a scavenger hunt. He had been planning since November after receiving her parent's blessing. “I had several family members meet her at locations that had significant, emotional meaning. At each location, there was a love letter that gave her instructions and words of affirmation as well,” he says.
The two will profess their wedding vows on October 8, 2016, at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. The wedding will be presided over by Fr. Timothy Reid, who has known Brian's family for more than 12 years. The couple plans to honeymoon in Mexico because they won a free trip.
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