Dara and Jonathan have the quintessential love story of 2020.
They met in a pre-Covid world, where online dating and casual meet ups were the norm. After chatting on Hinge in October 2019, they arranged to go to a real, live movie theater for their first date — remember those?
Dara was running late because of her camp reunion. When they met at the AMC Theater off 42nd Street in Manhattan, they navigated through the literal ups and downs of the building to find the theater and their seats in a dark room. Jonathan quickly found out that his seat was broken with a loud oomph! But that didn’t damper things, nor did the lights turning on three-quarters of the way through the movie. Afterwards, the pair walked somewhat aimlessly through Korea Town after discovering the restaurant Jonathan picked from Yelp no longer existed (and yes, this comedy of errors actually happened).
Dara knew Jonathan was special when he lent her his jacket on their walk through the city. After enjoying ramen and dumplings at BCD Tofu House, Dara and Jonathan got matching candy bars at a 7-11 near Herald’s Square and enjoyed the night air. Jonathan loved Dara’s easygoing nature and kind personality.
Cooking dinner together, walking around the city, and hanging out with friends became a normal weekend as Dara and Jonathan’s relationship grew. It was clear to everyone who knew them that they were falling in love. Jonathan met the Levines and joined in for Shabbats, Hannukah celebrations, and birthdays. When Jonathan brought Dara to meet the Roses in February, he knew Dara was the girl he wanted to marry.
On a weekend in early March, Jonathan and Dara packed a suitcase to go to the Levine’s home in the Hamptons for a few days due to a potential new virus. Little did they know they were moving in with Dara’s extended family for the rest of the year, with no end in sight! It was over the Covid quarantine that Jonathan grew from a guy the Levine’s had met a few times to a member of the family. Dara already loved Jonathan, but seeing his tech skills in action, watching him play with her niece and nephew, as well as making breakfast together each day solidified what she saw as their future together.
What Dara didn’t know was that Jonathan was already planning that future. Jonathan arranged the perfect surprise proposal. When Dara and Jonathan arrived in Arizona a few days before their one-year anniversary, Dara had no idea that the anniversary celebration was really a proposal. On October 17th, almost a year to the day after they met, Jonathan asked Dara to marry him. The rest, as they say, is history!
We are so happy to be starting the next chapter of our lives together. While we wish we could celebrate with you now, we hope it will be safe to do so soon. Stay tuned for updates!
Love,
