Ralph & Jennilyn's Love Story
As the Holiday season comes to a close end, we want to share one last story from our couples at Vowlá. We have greatly enjoyed getting to know the stories of each one of you and would love for you to keep submitting these!
Meet Ralph and Jennilyn!
The two met at their Youth Ministry in 2010, talk about the beginning of the decade versus the end of the decade! They have been officially dating for the last 7 years!
How They Met
The two happened to be attending their Youth Ministry’s retreat! Ralph says he remembers everyone talking about Jennilyn and her sister, they all said they looked like twins but he never felt intrigued to learn more. At the retreat he and Jennilyn's sister were put into the same group and she later introduced Jennilyn to Ralph.
Ralph already had his eyes on her, he says that she first caught his eye when they all arrived at the retreat. He purposely walked back and forth between the halls in order to catch glimpses of her.
He mentions how when they were first introduced, Jennilyn’s friend yelled “She has a boyfriend!”, which to this day is hilarious to him!
When Jennilyn describes what was the first thing about him that caught her attention she jokes about how loud he is. She said “ I mean, who wouldn’t notice a person talking so loud that the whole block could hear them?” she later clarified she was joking and what really caught her attention was how he was always doing everything possible to make those around him feel welcomed, and how easy it was for him to get along with others.
It was easy for us to know that Jennilyn and Ralph were made for each other when the two gave similar answers to “What’s your favorite thing about your significant other?”. Ralph said he loved how caring she is and Jennilyn said she loves how selfless he is. There’s no doubt, these two will always care and watch over one another!
Obviously, we know their meant to be, but how did they know? Jennilyn’s answer is our favorite! She said they were taking a walk after having dinner at their Confirmation retreat. As they were walking she felt that everything was magical, the lampposts, the stars, the trees, everything was breathtaking and peaceful. Suddenly, Ralph decided to let one rip! Nice one Ralph! Aside from killing the peace Jennilyn was feeling, that was when she realized the two could completely be themselves around each other. That’s when she truly felt like he was the one for her.
Our personal favorite question to ask is, “what is one date you will never forget?”.
Jennilyn says one date she will never forget is when Ralph literally made her fear for her life! Ralph is really into photography and she would accompany him and help him get the shots he wanted. One day, he decided he wanted to go to a spot called “Davenport” there was a swing set there that made for perfect photos. Jennilyn says “you had to nearly die to get to the swing set”. The walk down is extremely narrow and there are no handrails, so you can only imagine how easy it is to fall! Jennilyn says that the whole way down she was yelling at him and threatened to breakup with him! It wasn’t until they got to the swing set that she realized how truly beautiful the view was and completely mute at the site of it. She says it taught her a valuable lesson, which is, sometimes the end result really is worth the risk.
From both Ralph and Jennilyn’s answers we learned that the two are very spontaneous and sometimes things are not planned out. However, Ralph was sure he planned the perfect proposal for her!
He always knew he would propose to her the minute he landed a stable job, when he finally did, the first thing he did was buy a ring. Unfortunately, when the ring was delivered he would be away in Texas for three weeks! That’s when he decided to plan it to ensure it was all a surprise. He called her uncle, who is like a father to her and asked for his blessing. Her uncle was beyond excited. Ralph made multiple phone calls to make sure everyone was there and everything was planned to the minute. He says the only thing he didn’t plan was his speech, but I mean how CAN you plan that?! Ralph says he felt reassured that she really was the one when he cried during the proposal.
But hold on, Jennilyn’s version is better! We had to quote her because it’s THAT good.
“The proposal was something I most definitely will never forget. I wasn't too sure how long he planned it for until after everything happened. Heck! I didn't even know if there was going to be one! LOL! But there I was, walking into my house where there were rose petals on the floor, with Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" playing in the background, and everyone I love holding their phones up recording while fighting back their tears.. and the first thing I said was, "I'm hungover." Yup. That's right. I walked into my house, filled with the people I love, carrying a Pedialyte bottle in my hand while I try to find my balance lol! The proposal is definitely a story to tell! It was perfect and I wouldn't have it any other way! “
We love how real these two are! We are so excited for the wedding of your dreams to become a reality. Thank you Ralph and Jennilyn for sharing these special moments with all of us at Vowlá. Congratulations!
To Ralph and Jennilyn~
