Good things come to those who wait; no one knows this better than Marcy and Len.
Their contemporary fairy tale began in a thoroughly modern manner. In cyberspace, that is, courtesy of JDate. Marcy, a clinical social worker at UCLA, met her soul mate, Leonard, an emergency physician, in 2005. Like many romantic tales, there were obstacles to overcome before love triumphed in the end. Before they married on December 4, 2010 in Palm Springs, there was a break-up that lasted 3 1/2 years.
At the time, Len said he wasn’t sure what he was looking for in a mate. “I was crushed,” Marcy said. “But it was the right thing at the time. He wasn’t ready.”
She remained in contact with him over the years through occasional emails. “I knew staying in touch with him would keep me in his head,” she said. But she was surprised to receive a call from him in March of 2009 asking her to attend a Billy Joel/Elton John concert.
“I called her without any intention or expectation of getting back together, but just to go to the concert together because I knew she loved Billy and Elton,” Len said.
They didn’t get serious until three months after the concert. “It took a while for both of us to feel comfortable together,” Len said. “I didn’t want to jump in too fast and hurt her feelings if things weren’t right.”
During the time they had been apart, Herman said he grew emotionally and realized that Marcy was everything he sought in a partner.
“I love her personality, intelligence, character and values. She’s attractive, too, let’s not forget that,” Len said. “We’re very much kindred souls. I saw in her a lot more of myself, a person who shares a lot of what I share and has a lot of the same perspectives and outlooks.”
In May 2010, the couple visited the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. They strolled the grounds before heading for a candlelit dinner at one of the resort restaurants. That’s when he popped the question.
“He’s a sweet man, so kind, so gentle,” Marcy said. “I’ve found a lot of good men in my life, but never found someone so good to me, my family, my friends. He’s just an angel on earth to me.”
Continuing the modern twist, the ceremony was held in a garden in the Agua Caliente Casino Resort. The traditional Conservative ceremony was officiated by a female rabbi, Rabbi Sally Olins of Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs; “Rabbi Sally” to her congregants. The nearly 90 guests then entered the hotel’s ballroom for the reception to celebrate the newlyweds, whose first dance was to Michael Bublé’s “Hold On.”
“Marcy always knew I was the one and that she and I were right for each other,” Leonard said. “And I realized that none of this would have been possible without JDate.”
Marcy and Leonard
Los Angeles, California