JoAnne, 53, had been a CatholicMatch member for three years before she accepted a date from a member. “When I first saw Dave's picture on CatholicMatch, I thought he had the kindest eyes and the sweetest smile. He talked about his family, which is very important to me,” JoAnne reminisces.
The two emailed for about a week before meeting; they both lived in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time and only a half hour apart. “It was so easy emailing with Dave, 51. I felt like I had already known him my whole life.”
Both wine-lovers, they decided to meet at a wine bar near Dave’s home for their first date. They spent six hours getting to know one another. "He brought me flowers! By the time I had gotten home, I had an email telling me what a great time he had and that he would like to see me again. I said that I would like that and he said ‘how about tomorrow night?’" From then on, they saw each other almost every day.
Both Knew They Wanted a Catholic Spouse
Both JoAnne and Dave had previous marriages that were annulled by the Catholic Church and both of them felt that their first marriages didn’t last because they married non-Catholics. “I had always hoped to meet a man I could go to Mass with and pray with and Dave felt the same way. Neither of our exes would attend Catholic Mass with us,” she says. “We both said if we were ever to marry again, it would have to be to a practicing, devout Catholic.”
They felt so comfortable with each other from the beginning that there was no doubt; they knew that they wanted to be with each other forever. Though JoAnne says she and Dave are very different people, they share the same core values.
“It was the most natural match in the world,” JoAnne says. The fact that their families were compatible made it easier for the relationship to move along quickly. Dave has two sons ages 17 and 19 and JoAnne has a 15-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter. “Our children get along great. Dave treats my children just like they are his own,” JoAnne says. They also both get along with their in-laws.
Desired Marriage Before Starting New Life in NYC
After four months of dating, they decided to go on a Trip to Rome and Tuscany; it was a trip with 30 other CatholicMatch members. “We met some wonderful people
from all over the world and we fell more deeply in love during that trip.”
Shortly afterward, Dave, who was employed by the U.S. State Department, was assigned to a new position in New York City—JoAnne’s grew up there and was excited at the prospect of returning. “We knew we wanted to come to NY as husband and wife, so we planned our wedding in a week!”
JoAnne’s family kicked in to warp speed to make the couple’s wedding day perfect. Everything was falling into place from the music to finding the bridal gown. The only worry they had was whether there would be a priest available to perform the ceremony. “It was summer and most of the priests were away on vacation. Luckily, at the last minute, one of our favorite priests had just returned from a retreat; he saw my email and agreed to marry us!”
Their wedding is a testament to a beautiful wedding and reception can happen without a lot of extra fuss. Because everything for them fell into line so easily, they often joke, “The Lord said, ‘These two have been through enough.’ We believe He wanted us to live the rest of our lives loving and being loved and spreading his Word, which we do every chance we get.”
JoAnne says she and Dave believe that their paths would have never crossed had it not been for the Lord steering them to CatholicMatch.
