Brooke and Ben found each other at the perfect time. Ben, who had previously been a member of JDate, had just subscribed again after some time off. Brooke, on the other hand, was busy with law school and was about to take a break from JDate, but not before waiting to hear back from someone she had sent a message to. Brooke had been browsing Ben’s profile and noticed that he worked at the same place and within the same department as her father. After seeing this, she decided to reach out to Ben. Ben, having just rejoined JDate, was excited to quickly find a message in his JDate mailbox. After, ironically, having technical difficulties while trying to get in touch with each other (Ben works in information technology), Ben asked Brooke out to dinner.

Brooke and Ben had their first date at Rosa Mexicano on January 14, 2010. After enjoying an enchanted evening of guacamole and margaritas, Ben asked Brooke if she would like to grab some after-dinner coffee. Brooke, being the conscientious student that she was, declined because she was worried that the caffeine would keep her up all night. After bidding each other goodnight, Brooke worried that declining Ben’s coffee invitation might have been interpreted as rejection. Thus, the next morning, she texted Ben and asked if he wanted to go ice skating at Bryant Park that evening. Ben quickly responded with a definite yes. During their date, they pulled to the side of the rink and shared their first kiss. This became their “spot” to take a rest and share a romantic moment when they made visiting the rink an annual tradition. 

The week before Thanksgiving in 2012, Ben suggested they go for their annual ice skating trip before the weather got too cold. The two of them headed off to the rink for an afternoon of skating.  They took a few trips around the ice, stopping in their usual “spot” along the side of the rink to take a break. After heading off the ice for another break, Ben suggested that they take one more trip around the ice before heading home. This time, when they stopped in their “spot,” Ben got down on one knee (flawlessly, while wearing ice skates) and the rest is history.

On June 29, 2014, Brooke and Ben will stand under the chuppah and formally become soul mates under Jewish law.  Given the timing of their having met, there is little doubt that they are each others’ Beshert.

Brooke and Ben
New York, New York