Andrew and Isabel can recall the exact moment they each knew they were falling in love.
As they said goodnight to each other after Isabel’s mother’s birthday party, they hugged… then shared a “Mexican-style” kiss on the cheek…then a very tender kiss on the lips… and then, in an amazing moment, their faces spontaneously came together, forehead-to-forehead, face to face, as their hands came up and tenderly caressed each other’s cheeks.
They recall it as the most “magical feeling” in the world because it was completely spontaneous for both of them.
They began messaging in 2019.
Andrew and Isabel met on CatholicMatch in January of 2019. They credit the Holy Spirit for “setting them up.” Before signing up for CatholicMatch, Andrew had become discouraged from online dating. Most other sites seemed oriented toward just hooking up.
After having gone through a painful annulment and a journey of self-reflection, Andrew was not sure if he would ever marry again. He had a series of encounters with the Lord that led him to Christ, and he then chose to cast his future into the hands of the Lord. He realized that if he wanted to be with somebody, it had to be somebody who shared his faith. Andrew thought, “If the Lord leads me somewhere, to someone, I hope my ears are open enough to hear it.”
It made sense to join CatholicMatch, after that.
Isabel’s journey to join CatholicMatch was very similar to Andrew’s. After using other dating apps for some time, she became frustrated with the online dating experience. She let her membership on CatholicMatch lapse. However, her break from the site did not last very long. A coworker encouraged Isabel to rejoin the website. She sat with Isabel and prayed that she would find somebody who was very important to her life. The very first profile that popped up on the app after that was Andrew’s.
Isabel messaged first, and from there, their relationship took off. They were both extremely attracted to each other’s devotion to faith, as well as the fact that they both speak Spanish. Both were heavily involved in music ministry at their respective churches.
Dating just came naturally!
Finally in April, three months after the first message, Andrew decided to drive down one evening to meet Isabel for dinner in her hometown. They were comfortable enough with each other that at the end of the evening he asked her if she’d like to meet again. She agreed right away.
Andrew began to keep track of all the important dates and details of their relationship early on. “I started keeping a little file, as interest grew.”
He knew there was something special about her from the moment he laid eyes on her!
They had a very happy engagement...
On March 6th, 2021, Isabel and Andrew were engaged.
They were doing the Stations of the Cross together, and while praying, Andrew turned to Isabel and said that he, “wanted her to love Christ more than she loved him,” and she agreed. They always choose to put God first in their relationship, which has strengthened their bond.
Just twenty minutes after that conversation Andrew proposed, and Isabel said yes!
Their seven-month engagement was crazy. There was a lot of planning to be done. Due to the pandemic, Isabel and Andrew’s parish lifted the requirements for marriage preparation, so that sped up their engagement significantly. Still, it was important to them that they spiritually prepare for marriage. They attended a marriage preparation talk with Isabel’s parents, which they both enjoyed very much.
How married life is treating them now...
Their wedding was a beautiful, traditional Mexican wedding. They both described their wedding mass as being “very special.” This is because their ceremony was a fully bilingual mass conducted by two separate priests!
For Isabel’s family who speaks Spanish, and Andrew’s family who all speak English, a bilingual ceremony was necessary to include everybody. They recited their vows in both languages. Andrew described how beautiful it was to also incorporate Mexican wedding traditions, such as the Rosary Wedding Lasso, into their ceremony.
Andrew and Isabel are still adjusting to their new routines and schedules now that they are married. Before marriage, they put in the effort to never spend a night together or cohabitate. Although they acknowledged that it was difficult, and not many non-Catholics understand, they said it was definitely worth it. They still pray together often, and they are becoming closer each day.
In an intimate moment, I was lucky to share during our interview, Andrew said to Isabel, “Everything is so different in a beautiful way. I feel like I love you more today than I did five weeks ago.”
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