When Beverly met Andy in early December 2017, she felt unsure about him.
She thought Andy "looked like a rebellious artist" but the graphic designer/musician won her over by sending thoughtful and consistent messages.
"He asked me good questions, which made me pause and think," shares Beverly, 40. "I clearly saw that Andy wanted us to get to know each other. Even if I had failed to answer his message on CatholicMatch within the day, he would often send me another one—evidence of his persistence."
Andy spoke Beverly Ann's love languages.
Andy quickly picked up on Beverly's love languages—words of affirmation and quality time—and did his best to make her feel cherished. When she confided to Andy that she felt extremely homesick for her home in the Philippines, he responded empathetically.
"Andy made me feel understood, and he made sure that I knew that he was available to listen to me," she explains. "I felt God's love through him."
Beverly appreciated Andy's gentle and kind nature, and she soon realized that she also liked his artsy side even though it had initially scared her. "I'd ask him to indulge me by sending recordings of him singing."
No hard-to-get games!
Andy appreciated that Beverly Ann seemed equally invested in their relationship.
"When I would write to her, she would respond in kind. I noted that she was devoting time and attention in our correspondence," Andy, 46, shares. "She seemed to enjoy it when I shared stories."
First date at Brandywine River Art Museum...
The couple arranged to meet for their first date at the Brandywine River Art Museum in Chadds Ford, PA. They toured the museum focusing on N.C. Wyeth's illustrations, and afterward, they stopped for a bite to eat in the museum's restaurant.
"We ate green fried tomato sandwiches, and I tried my hand at practicing words of affirmation," Andy shares. "After our museum visit, Beverly and I attended Mass at St. Cornelius Catholic Church."
Not beating about the bush, at the end of the date, Andy asked Beverly if she would like to meet again for another date.
Beverly Ann had to return to the Philippines.
Andy and Beverly's relationship had just gotten off the ground, but after only three months, she had to return home to the Philippine because her visitor's visa ended. They both wanted to continue their budding relationship, so Beverly invited Andy to visit her and her family in the Philippines. Andy decided he would come the next month in January of 2019.
"There was a time when I could not have traveled abroad due to tighter finances. Even so, I had to be careful about my budget," he explains.
Andy didn't have much travel experience, so making a trip to the Philippines pushed him out of his comfort zone. His reward for flying so far from home was the opportunity to see Beverly again, as well as swimming with the whale sharks at Oslob and snorkeling among the reefs near Bohol. Afterward, he journeyed with Beverly to the north to Manila where he spent time with her family in their home.
A quiet proposal.
Near the last night of Andy's visit, he asked Beverly to marry him with no fanfare but with much tenderness. "There were no fireworks, idyllic setting, or romantic ambiance at that moment, yet the moment was sincere for both of us," he shares.
On the next morning, Andy asked Beverly's parent's blessing. Then he had to face leaving Beverly and returning home to the States alone.
"It was difficult to head back home after spending such a wonderful time with Ann and her family," he shares.
They immediately booked a flight for the following January, and Beverly and Andy began brainstorming about the wedding.
A year of anticipation!
The couple set their wedding date for February 2, 2020. "We built up quite a bit of anticipation for the big day as we corresponded almost daily or twice-daily through the course of 2019," Beverly shares.
Andy made plans to arrive in the Philippines one month in advance of the wedding to complete in-person interviews with the Parish and Diocese and to complete official documents at the U.S. Consulate and Manila City Hall.
"There was even a required marriage seminar to attend via the Diocese of Manila. We needed every bit of that month's time, especially factoring in Manila traffic," he says.
They also applied for a marriage visa and Beverly's green card knowing that the process could take 18 to 24 months to be approved [The process has been drawn out even longer for them because of COVID].
A very resplendent wedding!
Andy's proposal may have been low-key, but he and Beverly's family went all out on the wedding. The wedding took place in the historic and beautiful San Agustin Church in old city Intramuros, Manila. Beverly wore a stunning gown, and Andy and his groomsmen donned traditional barongs—a Philippine national garb worn during celebrations. The bridesmaids wore soft peach-pink colored dresses.
They had a top-notch photography and filmography crew to capture the preparations and celebrations of the day.
"Early in the day, we had a photoshoot in one of the gardens along the old city fort wall. Each of us spent time with the film crew as they gathered footage for a same day edit video," Beverly says. "Seeing all the family and guests gathering for the event was exciting."
A horse-drawn carriage—decorated with hundreds of paper flowers created by Beverly's mother—drove the couple to the reception after the ceremony. The guests had the option of commuting to the reception site, at the Ilustrado, via a trambia—a motorized trolley car.
Waiting to be together...
After the honeymoon, Andy returned home without his bride because they were still waiting for the visa and green card to come through. Happily, two days after arriving home, Beverly called Andy to tell him that they were expecting.
"So, wow! That was an awesome moment," he exclaims.
Distance remains a challenge, but the couple endures it for the other's sake. "We pray for one another and plan with each other in mind. We do our best to be present for one another in some way every day. We've even attended two virtual marriage conferences online—one focused on Theology of the Body."
Welcome baby Linc!
Andy and Beverly communicate daily and connect on the weekends via video chat. In late October, the best news Andy received from Beverly was she'd delivered a healthy baby boy whom they named Linc. Andy continues to look forward to his next reunion with Beverly and to see their child, and he hopes they will soon join him in the U.S. permanently.
Due to Covid-19, Andy may have a longer wait than he and Beverly would like. "The Philippines is restricting air travel to only select Philippine nationals and ambassadors, overseas contract workers, and emergency cases," he explains.
Andy closes, "It is a challenge to be away from my beloved bride, yet worth meeting the challenge."
