Our story began when I was in my senior year of college at the University of Florida. I was about to graduate from college and move back to my hometown of Houston, Texas. I told my mom, “I want to join JDate. Growing up in Houston, I already know all the Jewish guys in the area. I need to find some new fish!”

I joined JDate. As I was looking through my matches, I happened to click on my now fiance’s picture. In a sense, I found him. The next day, I received a message from him with the great pick-up line of, “Do you know my cousin Lauren? She went to your high school.” Debating whether or not I should respond, I went for it! While that wasn’t the best pick-up line I have heard in my day, it was a sentence that would change my life for the better.

We talked on JDate for many weeks, and then finally exchanged numbers. I was still in Florida and Eric was in Houston. Finally, we took the leap to Skype. The first time we saw each other face-to-face via Skype, it was truly love at first sight. We both could not stop smiling, and I knew that this was real and something special.

I finally told my parents I needed to book a flight to come home and see Eric in person. We arranged the trip home, and of course, that weekend in Houston there was a freeze alert. Texas? A freeze alert? I was nervous I was not going to be able to make the trip home because unlike states in the north, Texas does not know how to react to freeze alerts! Give us a hurricane and we will be prepared, but a freeze alert… we become dumbfounded!

I managed to make it home, and was planning to go on my first date with Eric that Friday night. Eric picked me up from my parent’s house that night. Talk about putting the man under pressure! Not only was I meeting him for the first time, but he had to meet my parents that night as well.

The first date was amazing, and is a memory I will cherish forever. I will never forget how my mom talked to me later that night and said she could see me marrying him one day. Truly a Jewish mother’s wise words… she turned out right! Fast forward two years, we got engaged!

Eric and I got engaged on February 23, 2013. It was a fairytale proposal. We are both Disney fanatics, and we have even dressed up as the Little Mermaid and Prince Eric for Halloween. We have made numerous trips to the Disney theme park, and Disney happened to be the first place where Eric told me he loved me. Disney holds a special place in our hearts.

Unfortunately, we could not go to Disney for our recent proposal, so Eric brought Disney to me. He proposed to me at the Disney Store! The Little Mermaid’s “Kiss the Girl” song was playing, when Eric began to propose to me. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee.

Here we are today, thanks to JDate, I have truly found my prince! This was the best decision I have ever made!

Meryl and Eric
Houston, Texas