Fan Features: Valentine’s Day 2025 - Couples Edition!
Cupid struck gold with these picture-perfect matches from the Quite Frankly community.
Remember to visit the forum to read more details and see additional photos from each of these heartwarming love stories, or to share your own with fellow Franklies.
Melanie and Brandon from New Jersey (pictured at J Gulinello’s Health Retreat in Martha’s Vineyard) are set to get married next February. “We have so many commonalities and we complement each other so well. I can be my authentic genuine self with him. I know he was brought into my life by God and he has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.”
Brooke and Jimmy of Mississippi met while working together in Denver, Colorado, and were married last September. The couple has been listening to the show together for nearly four years and are looking forward to starting a family. “We have been able to support one another to evolve as individuals. Together, we have grown more steadfast in our faith and continue to gain more knowledge and understanding of Christ and his gospel.”
“A Foretelling Photo” featuring Wonwaymel and Don circa 1988.
Back in the 80s in downtown Minneapolis I used to hang out the nightclub, Graffiti's. Graffiti's was a crazy place were we drank and danced until late to the best 80 new wave and punk out there.
A a cool night in the spring my friend Ken and I were enjoying a smoke at the popular club when all of the sudden a PYT in 80s ware and hair positioned herself in between Ken and I at the top of the star in mid-smoke. Her accomplice quickly took a picture and they vanished into the dancing crowd. Finishing up our Camels, Ken and I looked at each a decided to pursue. We search the emporium but could not find the young ladies who snuck the pic. So we went about our business ordered another drink and hit the floor to dance among the crowd to Depeche mode “Enjoy the Silence”. It was a typical night a Graffiti's and we had our share of drinks and dance and headed home not really thinking anything of the encounter that had occurred during the evening.
Meanwhile a thousand miles away down 35E that PYT found herself in Dallas TX. She moved there to try a different place and escape from where she was born and raised and take on a new adventure. With her was the camera and film with the pic that was taken suddenly a few nights before. Liking the pic she developed the film (no not digital) and put it in a frame to display in her apt. She lasted in Dallas for a few months but couldn't put her home behind her and headed back up 35 to the lake town she grew up in.
A few nights later Ken and I are back at the club doing the Friday nightscene. Towards the end of the night as folks were working their last pursuits I notice a ruckus off in the corner. Something led me towards it and as I approached it was apparent that a pursuit gone bad was developing. I approached the young staggering gentleman and told him to back off. I then led the PYT off to another corner of the dance floor. She thanked me and said, “I need to get out of here,” so I said, “So long and maybe I will see you some time in the future”.
Several nights later at another club in uptown I ran into her again, this time she was with a group of friends and asked if I had a girlfriend which I did at the time so I said yes. She said too bad for you. Later that week we saw each other again and spent the night talking and dancing. We decided to go back to Graffiti's and spent the night just talking outside the club on the stairs. One thing led to another and we began to date. Eventually we rented an apartment together and settled in. After a bit she realized that she had left some items in Dallas that she wanted to retrieve, so she called up her roommate there and had him ship back her belongings. Rummaging through the belongings she discovered a framed picture. The picture was the one she had taken on that Spring night a year previous. It was the pic of her, Ken and I at Grafittis. Now 37 years later we are still here dancing to 80s music with 3 kids and 3 Grandkids with another on the way.
The Pic sealed us. It was a random moment in time that took hold and molded us into what we are today.”
Julia de Mandelbrot and her charming fiancé.
We met on Super Bowl Sunday on Instagram on a post discussing the clovid vaccine. It was a post comparing science review papers on brain swelling effects after the shots and he posted a comment about people's brains shutting off. I asked for his SOURCE bc I couldn't find the article he mentioned. He was online as I replied and sent over the article immediately and I thanked him and said I was trying to figure out why everyone was becoming so smooth brained and offline. We immediately hit it off, talked about absolutely everything. After messaging for 2 weeks he asked if he could call me. He lived in Oklahoma and I'm in South Carolina, after our first phone conversation I knew I had a crush on him. The following week he asked if he could come out to visit me, and when I realized we were both on same page about feelings, that was it, and we have been together every since. We fell in love before ever meeting, both not vaccinated, tin foil hat weirdos, same sense of humor, same algorithm threads, absolutely best friends and inseparable from the very start. We never questioned the universe (GOD) for putting us together, after both being in abusive relationships we swore never to get remarried but everything fit together like puzzle pieces and here we are engaged and completely in love. Trust your heart, PRAYER is real, and become the best version of yourself before putting yourself out there. And always BE YOURSELF; the right people will find you and accept you.
JoElaine and her loving husband were high school sweethearts and have been together for 45 years (married for 35!) “ He truly is my soul mate. We've been through a lot together through the years and always have each other's back. We're reaching our next journey of marriage where all our hardwork is behind us and have raised an amazing patriot son who's future looks bright filled with happiness and love. We're so blessed to enjoy our retirement years together filled with the same love and passion for life we started with when we first met. We never let life beat us down but just made us stronger.”
ABC and DJ on a memorable trip that led to finding one of their favorite podcasts. “While we have been married for 25 years, my husband and I became a Quite Frankly couple in 2018. My husband discovered your channel early in 2018, but it was on a hiking/camping trip that we became a Frankly couple. The last night of our trip it rained pretty heavily. We spent the evening in our camper listening to pod casts. My husband said, “you have to listen to this guy I just found. He is funny, smart, and has great cast of characters on his show. Especially this one guy, Matt.” We spent that rainy, cold evening snuggled together listening and laughing at back episodes. I couldn’t get enough, asking my husband to play another, and another. We have been faithful listeners ever since!”
Marisu and Jeff from a small town near Athens, Georgia, first met by chance in 1999. “I felt like I needed to learn more about this man.......gave him my biz card and told him to call........he did, we had dinner and now 25 years later, we're still creating memories! Jeff wanted my Grandfather to be his best man so we traveled to him to 'tie the knot' officially for the first ceremony........courthouse in Florida........dinner after with just a few family members.........and we didn't tell anyone else knowing we were planning a second more public ceremony the following spring. It wasn't the first marriage for either of us so we decided to make it 'our own'. And both of us have backgrounds in film/TV/theater so we just had fun. My best friend owned a hunting lodge, and offered it as the location which enabled us to throw a three day party.......in costume........SO much fun.
Our recommendations for other couples is simple: don't ever loose your sense of humor, have patience and be forgiving.”
EstherG and her husband Michael met in college during the early 80s and Esther says it was love at first sight. After a brief hiatus, the couple reconnected by chance through work and were eventually married in 2000. “ This summer we’ll celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I turned 60 last week and this spring, Michael turns the age made famous by The Beatles. Yes. I will still need him, I will still feed him when he’s sixty-four. Mine forever more! For as long as God grants us.
The secret to a long relationship? Love, above all. Patience, forgiveness, understanding, along with constant communication. A great sense of humor, which includes lots of sexual innuendo, and us poking fun at each other. My husband’s contribution: His big joke is, “When you’re young, you do it (sex) all the time, but don’t really talk about it. When you’re old, you talk about it all the time, but don’t do it as often.” Whilst adding, don’t fight over the little things.”
Lora (UnexpectedRodeo) and her husband Martin (pictured on a cruise in Aruba) found love online and were married in 2020. “ We get along like we were custom made for each other. We both enjoy so many things together like car shows, concerts, drag racing, BBQ festivals, and of course, rodeos! We are always doing something fun! We have 6 kids between us. 5 are adults and one is still a teenager. Even our kids like each other. Life is better than it's ever been for both of us. God has definitely blessed us!”
Ryan and Julie Fields on their wedding day. “My wife, Julie and I could have met sometime in the early 90’s when my aunt and uncle lived in a neighborhood where she would visit friends but we never did. We could have met when her family lived next door to my mother’s best friend when we would visit but never did. We could have met when we attended the same school for a part of our high school years but she was a couple years ahead of me so we never did. We could have met one of the many times I came into the store she managed for years but I never saw her there. Instead we met around 2011 through woman’s flat track roller derby of all things. She as a player and I as a referee. I proposed after several months of dating. I actually knew that I would from our first date. We were driving to our date, sitting at a crosswalk when an elderly couple walked by. Upon seeing them she began to pout at how cute they were as they crossed the street together holding hands. I knew right then that she was the one. We were engaged for a couple years and in June of 2013 I married my best friend and the woman that I truly feel that God serendipitously lead me to after all those missed opportunities. Paths that could have crossed many times before but ordained for the perfect timing of whatever God had in store for our lives. Over our years together we have known many blessings and of course some hardships. We’ve come through some health scares, both found our way back to God after life experiences from our youth had pulled us away. This is the woman I will spend my life with.”
MisterMeeSeeks and his forever Valentine, Carrie. “ In 1993, fresh out of high school, I was set to join the Army. At my going-away party, the cops broke it up, so we moved the party to someone else's house. I drove a small group in my big old orange 1973 Blazer. Among the group was a girl I’d never met before, her name was Carrie. She was there keeping an eye on her little sister Desiree, who was a regular in our small circle of friends, and someone most of the guys wanted to get with.
When we got to the new spot the party resumed. I was a little out of it, wondering if my dad was going to get in trouble for letting kids drink at the house. Carrie was sitting there at a table, with a worried look and her sister nowhere in sight. I sat down next to her, half joking and asked if she was having fun. I knew she probably wasn't. We started to chat and quickly hit it off. It was one of those feelings, the more we chatted the more we realized we should have crossed paths sooner. Its hard to explain, but it was like the universe had been trying to get us to collide several times over years and just near misses. It felt like fate had finally brought us together. Meanwhile, her sister was having a bit more fun than we were. She had hooked up with one of my friends, and unbeknownst to us, she conceived my future nephew at that party. When the party was over, I usually drove people home, when I dropped off Carrie and Des, she gave me her number and made me promise to keep in touch while I was enlisted.
The next morning, My recruiter took me to the military processing station, only to be sent back home due to legal issues, at which time they postponed my leave date for 6 months. I immediately called Carrie, and we started spending every single day together. Six months later, when my recruiter came back for me, I was so in love I refused to leave. We got engaged on Valentine's Day 1994, and married a few years later—also on Valentine's Day.
Fast forward 32 years, and we’re still madly in love. We have a 12-year-old son and a 31-year-old nephew, who is a living souvenir of the night we first met. On Valentine's Day it will be our 28th wedding anniversary. Life and marriage are never perfect. I could not articulate what a perfect wife, woman, or marriage should be. We make eachother laugh every day, and cannot stand to be apart. Carrie will always be the love of my life and I know God blessed my life with the perfect woman for me.”
J5K and Pickled Gamer (not pictured) shared their at times humorous yet touching and inspiring love story. Remember to visit the forum (((LINK))) for the full submission. “ For those first two years, we lived a blissful existence in a cocoon of happiness. We had our own language and people thought we were weirdos. We were absolutely in love.
However, one month after we got married, I was in a serious car accident and was unable to walk for most of a year. That was the beginning of the enormous struggles we had to overcome.
Over the last 15.5 years, we have been through absolutely devastating events - almost everything a couple can go through.
What we have learned is that it takes two big givers and two big forgivers.
We learned that we both had to be on a journey with Christ, separately and together.
We learned that God truly never gives you more than you can handle - and you can end up being thankful for the pain, loss and struggle.”
Captain Wiggles from Illinois and her husband were married at the end of Covid and have faced great adversity with strength and perseverance. “The best advice I have is to find someone you’re comfortable with and be yourself. Also, to always have humor. Most importantly to be there for each other in difficult times. We have been handed so many hurdles. My husband had cancer, our son has had constant health battles and just the day to day stress. Always be there for one another.”
Familiar Franklies
Cousin Sheri and her husband Dave have been married for 28 years. “I think the secret to our success is having both come from families with the same values. Sure, we have had some bad times, but being without eachother was never an option either of us would consider. Creativity and always working on some sort of art, music or other creative endeavor really works for our relationship — don’t forget listening to Quite Frankly, that is an essential relationship builder!”
Tracy Beanz and her husband Will attend a glamorous gala together. The couple were engaged on Valentine’s Day 2007 on the beach in Cancun and recently celebrated their wedding anniversary. “I can honestly say that the past 18 years have been something to behold. When you find your partner in life, they are there for everything - the question is can YOU be strong enough to open and allow them in to the parts of yourself YOU aren’t even willing to face and accept. When and if you can, and you do, you’ll find your partnership with your spouse to be the most rewarding experiences you could ever have. There are storms weathered, but the banter and happy little quirks and moments of beauty on the journey far surpass the strife you may face on this crazy ride you call life.
Learning how to tear down your own internal walls so you can be the best for both your spouse and yourself is winning it all. It makes every step joyful, it gives you an “always there” net to fall into, it allows you to look at them one day and say “it’s been 60 YEARS?! It feels like it was JUST YESTERDAY!”
As our kids have gotten older, and we are still comparably “young,” the both of us are looking forward to continuing time to enrich what we have - the most beautiful love possible here on the spinning ball we call earth.”
Krista and Rob instantly knew they found their soulmate when they connected through the show back in 2018. After countless emails from Rob, handwritten letters, and nightly video calls that each lasted for many hours during the winter of 2019, they met in person in the spring of that year and were quickly engaged. “I am so grateful for Quite Frankly in that it brought us together at such a monumental moment in time.”
Reanna and Brenden Dilley have been together for over a decade. "Love at first sight" sounds like a cheesy myth a girl like me would just roll my eyes about. But then Brenden rang my doorbell. When I opened the door and saw him for the first time, there was an instant electric spark the second we made eye contact. It has been 11 beautiful years since that moment. And that very first time we met is the only time we haven't greeted each other with a kiss. So you could say I now believe in both "Love at first sight" AND "happily ever after."
Stephanie Gordon is a wife and mother, currently in her twentieth year of marriage. Her husband and best friend, Timothy, holds degrees in literature, history, philosophy, and law. Steph’s and Tim’s love story began when teenaged Steph saw Tim playing music in a rock and roll nightclub in Deep Ellum, Texas, in 2001. At the time, Steph had just graduated high school and Tim was in between his sophomore and junior year of college. They immediately became best friends and two years later began dating (at the time, they were each dating other people). After finishing his undergrad degree and then a speedy Master’s degree, Steph and Tim married, and he followed his passion (together with his new wife) by studying graduate philosophy at Pontifical graduate universities in Rome, Italy, which is the most romantic place for a young newlywed couple to begin their life. Upon return to the States, Tim then taught philosophy, theology, and logic at colleges and high schools in Southern California. His quest for understanding then led him to law school, where he specialized in Constitutional law. Currently, Tim enjoys life as an author and podcaster in Mississippi with Steph and their bustling household of seven children (six daughters and one son). Their life together is filled with the prospects of rebutting the demonic culture and politics of our day, ceaseless adventure and romance, education of their many children, and the other daily joys of raising a large Catholic family rooted in Tradition and love for Christ.
It was a beautiful day in the late Summer/ early Fall of 2005 that I was home for the weekend from college, and found myself out running some errands with my Mom. This of course meant I was comfy and casual, in my PJ pants and UGGs going to hit up the local pharmacy to pick up a few essentials. “I wonder if that cute guy will be there today…” I quipped to my Mom as I hopped out of the car. It had been months that my “crush at the pharmacy” had been building, but he never noticed me, and today certainly wouldn’t be the day - I was literally in my PJs and ratty college sweatshirt.
I shopped around for a bit before I saw him behind the counter with his late-Summer tan-kissed skin and big smile, hat effortlessly backwards (ladies, IYKYK…), joking with his co-workers. I strolled up to the counter to pick up my prescription and out from a back corner approached my crush. I could feel my face flush with his, “Hey nooowww! How can I help YOU?” and I think I blacked out because I don’t remember too many of the details of our first conversation, but I’m pretty sure it was something like; HIM: “Oh, is that where you go to school?” ME: “Uh, where? Oh, yeah, yes I do…” I don’t recall getting much more than that out of my mouth. I’m pretty sure I just stared at him, mesmerized, while he chatted up my Mom about her upcoming trip to South Africa.
The next evening I was back to school and I received a Facebook message from a “stranger”, requesting to chat. At this time Facebook was only available to select college campuses, so it was a big deal to find someone outside of your college to connect with. It was MY PHARMACY CRUSH… we chatted and I couldn’t sleep all night waiting to tell my Mom in the morning that Frank had messaged me, and we finally had a “real” conversation!
Are we one of Facebook’s first love matches? Perhaps! You can see the date stamp in the upper left hand photo is 12/23/2005 - a photo taken on a date we had a few months into our relationship when we introduced our parents. Though Facebook is what made it possible for us to connect in that initial stage, I still like to think of our courtship as modern, yet old-school and romantic, full of Frank’s hand-written in script love notes, flowers and wonderful dates on low-budget college incomes.
The rest is history. We fell in love. We broke up for three whole years. We grew up. We found our way back to each other. We found our love again. Our love made the most wonderful being, Aurora. We have weathered storms and drained days of sunshine. This year marks 20 years of being in each other’s lives. Frank works every day to make it feel like it was just yesterday and that I’m still that “cute girl from the pharmacy in the PJ pants [he] told [his] boss [he] was going to marry”. And the best is yet to come… I love you, always, my forever Valentine, My Frankie.
<3 xox, Lauren