Ari and Lisa met in the summer of 2019. Ari was a small-town boy from PA and Lisa was a born and bred big city gal from Brooklyn. They met at the Timeout Market for their first date. Ari was on time. Lisa was very, very late but Ari waited. Though they havent met in person, Lisa made him feel that they already shared something great and indescribable, making her worth the wait.

After dinner they took a summer night stroll with the Manhattan skyline illuminating their path. They stumbled across a young man setting up rose petals and candles. Curious, they sat down on the steps of Jane’s Carousel. Soon others joined in, and at that point everyone knew that this man was about to propose to the love of his life. This was a memory Lisa and Ari kept close to their heart.

Ari kept bugging Lisa to hang out with him… and she did. 5 years ago, on September 2019, he told her he loves her for the first time. They bonded through their weird awkwardness of being introverts, a wanderlust for exploration, and a willingness to be better people. Ari showed Lisa love and support like Lisa had never felt before. Lisa showed Ari courage, how to not take sh*t from anyone, and that Ari is capable and is enough.

Lisa and Ari faced a treacherous time together during dun dun duuunn... the COVID-19 pandemic. While it might have broken some couples, the pandemic brought them closer and made their love grow stronger.

More than just sharing new life experiences both scary and exciting, learning each others cultures, watching sunsets, and just being silly, Ari and Lisa fell deeply in love with each other. Whether it is cooking a new meal, taking care of each other, or simply bringing home a surprise bouquet of flowers, they always went out of their way to make sure the other person was loved and appreciated.

Ari and Lisa are celebrating the beginning of a new chapter together. To many more adventures to come! Mazel tov!