OUR STORY
Once upon a time, we were introduced by a mutual friend who thought things would go at least “moderately well.”
Fortunately, he undersold it a bit.
We’re not much for fluffy stories of “happily ever after” or mushy tropes of “forever and always”, but falling in love seems pretty cool to us. So we thought we’d share our story for those of you on
Team Love.
For you cold-hearted, practical, tell-me-when-to-be-there-and-what-to-wear other people, feel free to skip.
Rachel calls in a favor
January 27, 2019Then-single Rachel gave up on dating apps - which she’d inadvertently been using incorrectly for weeks - and reached out to an old friend, who she knew kept a carefully curated list of eligible bachelors on hand. Her standards were high, but expectations low. And so our story begins…
Inspiration strikes
January 27, 2019 (continued)Adhering to the very, very, very specific guidelines outlined in the initial outreach, our matchmaker (or, for our more Yiddish-inclined readers, shadchan) came up with a name. Measuring in at 5’11”, Adam only met 3/4 of Rachel’s key criteria, but the overview provided was sufficiently generous to persuade her to give him a chance.
A match is made
January 27, 2019 (still...) Adam never sent Jordan a list of formal criteria for a partner, but it was an obvious match and he did not take much convincing. With the inclusion of some of Rachel’s key attributes (Jewish, Hawaiian, athletic, high EQ) and a few outdated Instagram pictures, he was sold.
Their last first date
Friday - February 1, 2019 7:30pmOn a rainy Friday, Adam and Rachel took Jordan’s advice and met up for a drink at Robberbaron, a small wine bar near Adam’s apartment in San Francisco.
Initially, Rachel felt hesitant ordering rosé — she didn’t want to be perceived as “Basic” on the first date. However, much to her relief, Adam self-identified as “Basic Plus,” and quickly disclosed that rosé would be his drink of choice as well. They retreated to a comfy corner to explore the intricacies of a life lived with penchant for the “Basic”"; avocado toast, scented candles, rom-coms, and yes, rosé — but also more of the “plus” attributes — love of the outdoors, dancing ballet, textbooks on energy markets, and curating foreign pop music. It was quite the jump-start to the evening.
8:30pmNeither Adam nor Rachel had eaten before the date, and after their second glass of wine, the two agreed to keep things rolling at Mezcalito for late-night tacos. The conversation evolved to cover their mutual dislike of social media (sorry, no hashtags for our wedding), families, and challenges facing their beloved home of San Francisco. After toasting off their final margaritas, chips, and guacamole (see aforementioned discussion of “Basic”), Adam invited Rachel to tour San Francisco’s smallest park.
10pmAdam introduced Rachel to his secret spot — a panoramic view of the Bay nestled between the most charming homes in the city. Despite the clear chemistry and obvious romantic scenery, Adam missed his opening for a first kiss. Instead, he lamely asked to extend the evening with a movie at his apartment. (Rachel will insist this was her recommendation to keep things going).
10:30pmBack at Adam’s apartment, the pair snuggled under a blanket with some hot tea to stream the Netflix documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. Adam, not one to make the some mistake twice, went in for the first kiss. It would turn out to be their last.
Jordan follows up
Saturday - February 2, 2019 9amJordan checked in with Adam and Rachel, separately, to see how things went. Unbeknownst to him, they had just said a brief goodbye after a sleepless night of talking and tea. After a quick break to workout, the date resumed at Adam’s friend’s (Sam) birthday brunch and lasted the rest of the weekend. Shoutout to Sam Shapiro for sharing his birthday not once, but twice - as Adam proposed almost exactly the same date one year later, Sam’s 30th birthday.
After knowing each other for a mere 15 hours, Adam and Rachel were both confident (whether or not they admitted it that morning) that they had found their person.
Monday - February 4, 2019 - Present DayOver those next few weeks, Adam and Rachel courted one another from a distance: Adam all the way from Iceland and Rachel from Palm Springs. Delivered flowers, a shared Spotify playlist, and surprise FaceTime calls from desolate backcountry huts - transformed the whirlwind first-date weekend into a budding relationship.
2019 went on in this way, with panel interviews of family and friends, traveling, weddings, cooking, skiing - and eventually to moving in. And now, engagement.
Monday - June 27, 2022Excited to have celebrate the start of our next chapter with us!
Our Collaborative Playlist
A week after meeting, Adam traveled to Iceland for 10 days. During that time, we used a collaborative playlist to add songs that communicated how we were feeling during the early days of our relationship. We’ve continued to build on it in a playlist that has become the soundtrack to our lives together!