Julia & Josh
Julia & Josh
As told by Josh...
When Julia first spotted a photo of me at the Tribeca Film Festival on Hinge, instead of saying "hello," or "how are you?," she said "Top Five Films Right Now!!"
I thought, "Okay — she knows how to talk to me."
After days of swapping film recommendations, we finally planned our first date at The Penny Farthing. I was so nervous that I walked right past Julia outside of the pub; Julia was so nervous that she could barely eat the grilled cheese she ordered. Still, I beamed at the stimulating back-and-forth conversation about cinema, in awe of Julia’s passion and knowledge. (It was this “movie talk” that also put Julia at ease). That night, I learned about the old 1930s “Pre-Code” films that she loved, and Julia began to understand my taste in horror, sci-fi, and foreign films as well.
We were both captivated by each other and didn't want the night to end. After dinner, we ran around the block on that cold March night, laughing while looking for a warm spot to keep talking. I had no plan, but all along the way, Julia was laughing, like she was happy just being with me. We ended up in a small speakeasy tucked away inside a sushi restaurant, and as we caught our breaths, I saw how she looked at me. Her blue eyes with a little bit of green twinkled, looking down, then up as she met my gaze. Her smile grew, and I felt myself smiling at the same time, matching hers. At that moment, in the dim speakeasy light, serenaded by “City of Stars" from "La La Land," we shared our first kiss.
Our next date, obviously, had to be a movie night, and we decided to take in a revival of A Wife’s Heart, a 1950’s black-and-white melodrama from Japan, at the Film Forum. We grabbed our tickets and excitedly ran to our seats. When the movie started, Julia and I were puzzled when the movie’s opening scene was in color…in German…and featured two men being…rather intimate.
That’s when we realized we ran into the wrong theater.
We took one look at each other, laughed, and decided to stick around and give the movie, Great Freedom, a shot. Thankfully, we both loved it.
Julia’s adventurous spirit hit me hard, and from that point forward, I knew I didn’t want to be with anyone else except for her. It didn’t matter that I had to brave venturing off to the far-off land of the New Jersey suburbs, or that Julia needed to combat the formidable trials of riding NJ Transit — we just knew we needed to be together.
We built our relationship off of that adventurous spirit from that night. Whether dancing at the Hoboken train station, indie bookstore hopping around the East Village, or taking in an off-Broadway show, we found that we’re happiest when exploring together. Julia discovered a new interest in Bollywood movies and "good-for-her" horror films, while I discovered new interests in Pre-Code films. But, most importantly, we brought out the best in each other. I helped Julia find her confidence, and she helped me find my calm and peace of mind. When we’re together, we are unstoppable and unmatched. Even during tough times, Julia always had my back, and I had hers.
In February 2025, I came to the decision that no matter how life turned out, I wanted Julia by my side. I rallied both her friends and mine at The Beauty Bar, and, surrounded by friends, family, artists, musicians, DJs, and half-drunk NYU students, I got down on one knee and asked Julia if she’d marry me. Julia enthusiastically said yes, and, soon after, the entire bar chanted “SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES!”
Even amongst the stress of wedding planning, we still make time to entertain, write, explore, and spend a day marathoning movies at home from our personal DVD/Blu-ray collections (mine being four bookshelves full, not to brag.) Putting aside all the wedding glamour and formality, our joy comes from simply being together, and on October 11th, 2026, we’ll both meet each other’s gaze once again, and vow to celebrate our love for each other — and for movies — for the rest of our lives.
