Our Story

It all started with a casual match on Hinge in the Winter of 2021.

Once connected, Ben was excited to message Danielle. He led with, "Hi, I’m Ben" … greeted by a friendly no response from Danielle. Despite this pick-up line never failing him before, Ben followed up a couple of days later with, "How’s your week going?" Again, the sweet, welcoming, and always outgoing Danielle had nothing to say. Still undeterred, Ben tried once more: "I hate dating apps too—want to grab a drink tonight?"

A few days later, Danielle fortuitously re-downloaded Hinge and finally saw Ben’s messages. She immediately responded: "Hii! I’m actually in Austin for the next couple of weeks but would love to grab a drink when I’m back. Here’s my number—shoot me a text 😊"

As to not seem too desperate, Ben waited all of 5 minutes before sending Danielle his best intro, “Hey, I’m Ben from Hinge” and we began trading somewhat regular texts. Over the next couple of weeks, they went from texting once in a blue moon, to all-day every-day.

We had an immediate connection. Conversations flowed effortlessly—we'd talk on the phone at night, swap stories about our days, and start mapping out ideas for our first date.  As each message came in, Danielle would look down and catch herself laughing, Ben would get a response & then immediately respond to continue the conversation – everything flowed naturally; it was captivating.

Before we even met, Danielle’s friends referred to Ben as "her boyfriend," and Ben’s friends asked if he was planning to send out save-the-dates—it felt like everyone knew exactly where this was heading.

By the time Danielle came home, we couldn’t wait to actually go on our first date. Ben showed up early, Danielle ran late (per usual), and at 9:05pm, he texted: "I’m the tall guy waiting outside." A few minutes later, Danielle realized he wasn’t lying about being 6’8" on his profile.

Ben picked Pastis—justifying it to his friends as a third-date spot given how much we’d already talked—and in April 2021, we sat down at one of those quintessential COVID outdoor tables for a perfect spring night. The banter was immediate and abundant. It felt like we already knew each other. We closed down the restaurant and still didn’t want the night to end. With bars still closed, we grabbed Taco Bell and took drinks to Ben’s rooftop, where we stayed for hours.

Danielle returned to Atlanta a few days later, and although we weren’t planning to see each other for a bit, fate stepped in. Ben’s job brought him to Atlanta for a surprise work trip—what started as a few work meetings turned into our first getaway. Danielle showed Ben all her favorite spots and was our first meaningful time together. By the time Ben had to leave, Danielle was already looking for flights back to NYC.

Once Danielle was back in NYC full time – we prioritized seeing each other and leaning into our new found “relationship”. On June 5th, following a double date with friends and a night out, Ben finally found the courage to ask Danielle to officially become his girlfriend. Thankfully she said yes.

From there, our lives became seamlessly intertwined. We joined each other’s friend groups, became close with each other’s families, and discovered a shared love of quality time and trendy Italian restaurants.

Despite our busy lives—work, friends, travel—we carved out purposeful time for each other, including a Sunday night sushi tradition at Momoya. It became our weekly ritual to decompress and connect over crispy rice. By the time Ben moved out of Chelsea, we knew the entire staff—it was a tough goodbye.

A year into dating, Ben landed his dream job in Washington, DC. He vowed to make it seamless for Danielle—and to this day, he catches a 4:45am train every Monday morning to Washington to maximize our time together.

In November 2023, we took a big step and moved into our first apartment together in the West Village. We built a home we love coming back to—one where we host friends, family, and occasional parties. We’ve fallen in love with our neighborhood — from trying new restaurants and coffee shops, to taking strolls down the west side highway; it feels like our first home.

A year later, as Ben considered proposing, there was only one place that felt right—our neighborhood. On a crisp Friday morning, November 15th, 2025, Ben proposed on a quiet street corner, just a few block from our home. Our parents and siblings watched from a nearby restaurant, and when Danielle said yes, the restaurant erupted in cheers as our mothers held hands and cried.

We can’t wait to stand under the chuppah on November 8th and walk back down the aisle as a married couple. We hope each and every one of you will join us for a night of love, laughter, and celebration.