Wifey-to-Be
Lauren grew up in Marlboro, New Jersey with her big sister, Jocelyn. She is very close with her family; her parents and her sister are her best friends. She attended The College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh. After a short time as a business banker in Pittsburgh, and later Millburn, New Jersey, she switched careers to pursue her interests in retail buying. She started her buying career at Lord and Taylor, and is now the USA Director of Ready-to-Wear Buying at Chanel. She currently lives in the East Village in New York City and is head over heels in love with her joonem, Shahrouz.
Joonem
Shahrouz was born in Iran and moved to San Diego when he was 6 years old, after briefly living in Italy. His family then moved to Tarzana, California. He is very close with his family and is the oldest of five children. He has four younger brothers and sisters: Shahrzad, Shahram, Shahriar, and Sharona. Shahrouz went to the University of California San Diego for college, and later moved to Valhalla, New York to study Medicine at New York Medical College. He is currently finishing his radiology residency at Monmouth Medical Center and pursuing a fellowship in interventional radiology. He is over the moon about spending the rest of his life with his wifey, Lauren.
The Love Story
Shahrouz and Lauren first connected when Lauren came across an adorable JDate profile of a NY medical student from California and sent him a message. They chatted on JDate for a short while and he quickly asked for her number, skipping his dinner plans to call her. Each night for the next few days they talked on the phone for hours, which blew Lauren away because if you knew her… you know she hates to talk on the phone. That Friday, Shahrouz took Lauren on their first date to a sushi dinner at Amber in the Upper East Side. Despite Lauren being an hour late and the hostess hitting on Shahrouz while he waited, their instant connection continued and quickly blossomed into the warm and loving relationship they have today.
Picture-Perfect Proposal
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Shahrouz and Lauren decided to celebrate Rosh Hashannah with Shahrouz’s family in Los Angeles. Since the holiday fell right after Labor Day Weekend, they flew in early to drive up to Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo to explore the Central Coast wine country.
Shahrouz told Lauren she should get a nice mani and that they were “coming back engaged.” Lauren thought he was laying it on too thick and trying to throw her off from a different plan, but she still got her mani and bought about 25 new dresses “just in case.” The trip also fell about two months before Shahrouz’s 30th birthday, so Lauren planned a surprise party at Chateau Marmont the night after they arrived. He was so surprised that he almost fell on the floor at the restaurant!
The next day (Sunday), they drove up the coast and spent their days exploring the scenery, wineries, and beaches. On Tuesday, just when Lauren thought she was correct about Shahrouz trying to throw her off track from a different plan, Shahrouz took Lauren back to their favorite winery from the days prior for a picnic lunch. He snuck away into the tasting room while Lauren finished up lunch. Shahrouz then marched out of the tasting room and leaned in to ask Lauren if she wanted to stay or leave for another winery. She of course wanted to stay. He then got down on one knee in the middle of the hilltop winery patio, surrounded by a garden with sweeping mountain views and yelled, “Lauren Feintuch, will you marry me?” Lauren excitedly replied “YES, YES, YES, YES,” grabbed the ring, put it on her finger, and gave Shahrouz a big kiss. Shahrouz recorded the entire proposal on video – and his family had to keep two big secrets that week – the party and the proposal!
Lauren and Shahrouz
New York, New York