They Didn't Have a Great First Date But They Planned a Second One Anyway!

After Robert’s first date with Allison, he didn’t feel a spark. However, he thought twice about jumping to quick conclusions. “I had learned my lesson through past relationships that first dates aren’t everything; it can take a while for a true connection to develop and flourish,” Robert, 33, from Albuquerque, says.

Did he or didn't he?

The couple’s first date took place on Memorial Day weekend 2020. Robert and Allison enjoyed lunch in a park and took a walk through the Albuquerque Bosque. Allison liked Robert a lot, but he felt on the fence about her.

Allison, 30, from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, says, “I felt like I was in high school. I tried not to let my excitement of having a date after a year get the best of me. I also remember feeling very comfortable around him and excited the date went well. I hoped that he wanted to see me again.”

Robert adds, “I know in hindsight that Allison felt super excited, but I feel bad because I was more grounded. Not to sound unromantic, but after so many first dates that never went anywhere, I felt a bit emotionally numb, which I had learned over time, to avoid feeling hurt.”

Unsure about Allison, he hesitated for a few days about whether he wanted to go on a second date.

Their relationship took a year to get started!

Even before Robert felt doubtful about Allison, the couple’s relationship almost didn't happen. Back in 2019, Robert messaged Allison, but she ignored it!

“Allison popped up on my radar before she even had a profile photo! I noticed there was a faithful Catholic girl in my area with similar geeky interests like Star Wars, Tolkien, Doctor Who, etc.” he shares.

Allison chimed in, “I feel super guilty that I left such an amazing Catholic man on ‘read’ for a year.”

Once Allison finally posted a photo of herself, Robert noticed her long brown hair and hazel eyes. On top of all the other things he liked about her, her looks motivated him to try messaging Allison again.

This time Allison didn’t dodge Robert’s message. “I admired his perseverance and decided to give him a chance and see how it goes,” she recalls.

He saw the potential!

Robert knew deep down that a relationship with Allison had potential, and he found her interesting. But he felt jaded. “I had a ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ attitude. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much,” he recalls.

Laying aside any doubts, he decided to ask Alison out again. On their second date, in May of 2020, they connected over a nice dinner at a restaurant before it closed due to COVID.

By their third date, Robert invited Allison to participate in a local lightsaber fighting club called “Order of the Wolf.” They fight with combat-grade lightsabers and don fancy outfits.

“I wasn’t sure how Allison would take to it at first, but she got super into it. I feel like I created a monster because she now has more lightsabers than I do," he exclaims.

Robert and Allison allowed their relationship to develop naturally until they both realized they had something genuine. By late August, their relationship turned serious.

They gained a family member!

On December 26th, 2020, Robert finally introduced Allison to his parents. The restriction of the pandemic had kept him from doing it sooner. He proposed to Allison in front of his parent’s Christmas tree on that same day, slipping his paternal grandmother’s ring on her finger.

“Her answer was the best Christmas present I ever got!” he says.

Allison adds, “It was really sweet, and even though the ring needed resizing, I felt happy. The thing that really caused the tears to start flowing was the compilation video that Robert and my matron of honor made of friends and family congratulating me on the engagement.” 

The 26th of December was a significant date for Robert. “Fifteen years earlier on December 26th, 2005, I was by the Christmas tree in my parent’s house when I learned my maternal grandmother passed away, so on that night, we lost a family member. Fifteen years later, on December 26th, 2020, we gained a family member,” he shares. “It felt like the sort of thing you would find in a poem, but God was the poet.”

They had a Downton Abbey wedding!

On August 21st, 2021, the couple made their wedding vows at Allison’s parish, Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rio Rancho New Mexico. Robert recalls standing near the sanctuary of the church thinking, "Oh, wait! This is actually happening!"

Stephen's initial jitters soon dissipated. "Once I saw her in and how beautiful she looked in her dress, any seconds thoughts immediately went away."

He thought, "This is right; this is meant to be."

Allison says she felt like she was part of a dream during the wedding. "It did not feel real to me."

The couple had a 1920s theme to their wedding where the bridal party wore fascinators and top hats. "The priest jokingly asked them, "Is this the Downton Abbey wedding?"

Currently, the couple is happily living in Stephen's city, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Now Allison only has to drive ten minutes to her place of work.

Watch their exciting reception video: