She Wanted Board Games at Their Wedding!
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A recent convert to Catholicism, April wasn’t sure where to meet a young Catholic man.
Once she graduated from college, April decided to sign up for CatholicMatch. Yet after spending about eight months online, she found herself frustrated. Meeting guys who were not the right fit, she decided to take a break for about a year.
Meanwhile, Sean found himself a year out of graduate school, single, and not meeting a lot of new people. “I realized that if I wanted to get married, I would have to start being more intentional about it.”
Sean wasn’t sure what to expect when he signed up for CatholicMatch. He even paid for the longer subscription, figuring he would need the time. Yet surprisingly, it only took him a month online to find April. In fact, she was the first person he messaged. “I spoke to a few other people, but she ended up being the one.”
A trip to Europe couldn’t stop their connection.
When April—who had only gotten back on CatholicMatch that month—received Sean’s message, she was just days away from embarking on a trip with friends to Europe. She responded, but gave him a heads up that she would be away for two weeks. “He told me he'd message me when I got back and sure enough, he sent me a message the day after I got home.”
“I remember being excited about getting to know her better and awaiting her return. I think that made an impression on her,” Sean remarks.
After communicating for a couple more weeks and realizing they had so much in common, they decided to meet in person. “It was important for me to find someone who shared my values, but April shared my interests as well,” says Sean.
They went on a group date with some friends to see Man of La Mancha. Yet with the nervous pressure of a first date, Sean had a hard time getting an impression on their first meeting. April felt the same—“I was cautiously optimistic, because we did have so much in common,” she remembers.
Despite the nervous first meeting, they met again for a board game night with some of April’s friends. After that, Sean knew he liked her. A few dates later, Sean decided to ask April to be his girlfriend. He got to the restaurant early, dressed up, and waited for April with flowers in hand! “People kept asking me what the occasion was,” Sean remarks.
Their faith deepened their relationship despite the long-distance visits and job stressors.
Living about an hour apart, they visited each other on the weekends and connected in other ways during the week. “We prayed a lot of rosaries together early on,” April says. Sean was just beginning his career in mental health counseling, and April was in graduate school and working a full-time job. Yet despite the obstacles of distance and life, their relationship flourished.
Early on in the relationship, April mentioned how she wanted to meet Sean’s parents who lived out of state…and so they flew her and Sean down to Texas from Pennsylvania so they could meet! “It was nice to meet them and see Sean in his family environment,” April remarks.
During another date, as April and Sean were walking through the park, Sean started dancing with April. She told him later that she had always wanted someone to dance with her in the park.
A St. Joseph-inspired engagement!
After about a year-and-a-half of dating, both Sean and April felt peace about their relationship leading to marriage. April remembers how Sean kept dropping hints about marriage, even acting a little odd and nervous on one of their dates. “I thought for SURE he was going to propose that day,” she says. But he didn’t, and April began worrying.
On Valentine’s Day a couple weeks later, April asked Sean if he thought they would ever get married. He told her to be patient. Much to her surprise, after going to Mass together the very next day, Sean proposed in front of a St. Joseph statue! “Sean knew I'd been praying to St. Joseph for a good spouse and thought it would be sweet to propose in front of his statue,” remarks April.
“Our job is to work for the other’s salvation.”
After about an eight month engagement, Sean and April were married on October 14, 2017. The ceremony was beautiful and Sean remembers April tearing up during the vows. “It was sinking in that this was really the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with,” April says.
In between the wedding pictures and the reception, Sean and April even snuck off together to get ice cream! At the reception their family and friends all played board games, which was April’s one request.
Now, years later, April and Sean marvel at the gift of their marriage. “We constantly talk about how blessed we are to have each other, supporting each other in our values through everything that comes our way,” Sean says. They are currently expecting their third child, and the transition to parenthood has been especially challenging but rewarding.
The couple is grateful for their faith, which colors everything they do. “We both have the mentality that our job is to work for the other’s salvation: we are partners to keep each other on the path to heaven, and that is what is most important.”