As told by Justin:
First things first, me and my fiance are both born-again Christians and we were just looking to get out in the dating scene after we both got out of short-lived relationships.
The way I came across your app was through @Arielfitz Instagram page. She posted an advertisement for it so I figured I would give it a shot.
My initial thoughts were that it was a very clean and well-designed app. I had recently used Christian Mingle and it just fell really short on features and functionality for the amount of money they were asking. So the design and UI elements of Upward really sold me initially. Also, the payment structure was very reasonable and fair.
So we ended up matching and we went on our first date at one of my favorite breakfast spots. I was going into it very casually and wasn't looking to jump into a relationship any time soon. I was just wanting to get to know Mary. But it was one of the best dates I've ever been on! I've never laughed so much with a total stranger before. And I knew there was something special going on when we both jokingly started talking in our bad British accents.
Going into one of our next get-togethers, Mary came over to my place to watch the Chosen and eat some pizza. That's where I told her that even if our relationship didn't turn into anything romantic, I still wanted her to be in my life because of how great of a person she was and is.
The passion that we share about God, His Word, and seeing the world through His lens brought so much peace into our relationship that just kept snowballing and growing us closer together. I've never dated a woman who had such a heart for God and who drew me closer to Him as well. A feeling that was so different but so good.
So a little over a month goes by with us going on multiple dates and hanging out, I just knew this was the woman I wanted in my life and I officially asked her to be my girlfriend. It wasn't anything special, I just asked her when we were at my house watching a movie. She agreed and told me she shared the same feelings!
And so fast-forwarding through dates, meeting family and friends, and just getting to know each other I knew it was pointless waiting any longer. We had been talking about marriage and expressed to each other that we wanted to get married. So when the talks started getting serious around Feb-March 2022, I knew it was time to purchase the ring. So after a couple of more months of praying, learning, and waiting on God, the peace and confirmations always came so I purchased the ring in May and proposed on May 21st in Turkey Run State Park, Indiana.
Mary wasn't really surprised - her dad pretty much gave it away when he jokingly told her that he and I were scheduled to have dinner and "talk" lol. But she knew it was coming soon anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. Her dad is a jokester.
That same night of our engagement, I set up a reservation at a nice steakhouse in downtown Indianapolis. And to our surprise, a group of my friends had called in and paid our bill in full. It was an amazing moment that brought me to tears. We had a great night afterward walking around Indianapolis and just enjoying each other and the moment. It was an amazing night.
Now we have just been touring venues and trying to pin down a wedding date in November (hopefully), or settling for February if we are unable to make everything happen in time. But the journey has been amazing and I'm so thankful for your app Upward that I found a truly God-fearing woman that is my best friend.
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