Bailey thought she would never, EVER use online dating.
Thinking it would never work—that you had to meet someone in person to make a real connection—Bailey pushed past her preconceived notions and signed up for CatholicMatch anyway. Looking for a Catholic man, she felt like this was one way of focusing her search. After only three days on the site, Bailey received a message from “the most amazing man in the world.”
Joachim had similar concerns about online dating before joining CatholicMatch, mostly due to other dating sites “that were all about shallow hookups and casual relationships.” Yet, some people at Joachim’s parish were urging him to try CatholicMatch. Joachim relented, knowing that the only way he’d have another relationship was if that person’s morals matched his own. After just two months on the site, he spotted Bailey’s profile and sent her a message.
Common backgrounds and beautiful smiles piqued their interest.
“What attracted me to Joachim was the information in his bio.” Bailey never questioned whether Joachim was a devout Catholic: his profile stated that he agreed with all the Church teachings and even preferred the Latin Mass. She also liked that they both grew up in large homeschooling families. But, what prompted her most to respond to his message was one of his pictures: “It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen!”
For Joachim, Bailey’s faith and similar family background were also big points of attraction, especially since they shared a lot of the same life experiences. “It’s hard to find someone who actually cares about their faith”, Joachim admits. And, like Bailey, something seemingly simple made all the difference: “She has the most amazing smile. I always want to make her smile.”
Two months of communicating finally paid off with an in-person date!
Living five hours apart, Bailey and Joachim solely communicated online and over Zoom for about two months. They wanted to meet sooner, but since they first connected in April 2020, the pandemic made it nearly impossible.
Before their first in-person date, Bailey admits she acted a bit hysterical. “My family had to calm me down that morning as I struggled to find something to wear.” Having already grown so close over the past two months, Joachim and Bailey were eager to see how well their connection played out in person.
It was a simple, pandemic-friendly date—dinner from In-N-Out and a walk on the beach. “We hit it off even more in person than we had over Zoom,” Bailey gushes. “It was so incredible to finally be able to hangout face-to-face with the man who had become my best friend.”
After that first date, the two grew their relationship long-distance with frequent weekend visits. Because of the distance and schedules, they would sometimes go weeks in a row without an in-person visit. Though this was challenging, their affection for each other only grew. “We knew we were supposed to be together.”
Joachim soon devised a surprise proposal plan—and so did his brother!
Oddly enough, Joachim’s brother also met his girlfriend on CatholicMatch, and she just so happens to be Bailey’s sister! One weekend, Joachim and Bailey accompanied Joachim’s brother to the jewelry store to help him pick out a ring. Little did Bailey notice that Joachim also conspired with his brother about the ring he planned on getting for Bailey!
Afterwards, they helped Joachim’s brother devise his proposal plan.
The following day, Joachim, Bailey, and his brother and her sister all went for a hike. Bailey and Joachim hiked a bit ahead, then snuck to a higher place to watch the proposal. As Joachim’s brother got down on one knee, Bailey suddenly heard Joachim say, “Funny, I had the same idea.” She turned around and saw him down on one knee as well. “I was so surprised and happy!” The two couples celebrated with their family right after.
On February 2, 2021, Joachim and Bailey’s long-distance wait was over.
A beautiful wedding ceremony united the two forever in the Sacrament of Marriage. Their favorite part of the day was saying their vows and kneeling together in prayer after those vows were made. “That moment was so filled with love and joy, and I could feel the grace of the sacrament within me,” Bailey reflects.
Since beginning their marriage, Joachim and Bailey enjoy spending time together and no longer living long-distance! Their love grows stronger daily as they adjust to their roles as husband and wife.
