How did you meet? What was your first date like? Give us all the details!
It’s a funny story. I was moving to Orlando and didn’t know anything about Jews in the area. I used JDate to try to find out what the Jewish singles scene looked like, but I wasn’t really interested in a romantic relationship. It was too soon after my separation and the divorce wasn’t yet final. I found a few folks with whom to chat, including Robyn.

I told Robyn that I was not interested in a romantic relationship and just looking for a friend. As I was moving to Orlando, I asked her if she could help me shop for some furniture for my home. I was looking forward to a friend’s opinion. We met for lunch, which I offered to treat as a thank you for her spending her day shopping with me at an antique mall. We had lunch and then proceeded to the mall and spent the next five hours shopping and just had a magnificent time. The best part was that there was absolutely no pressure – just two people out enjoying our time together.

That night, she told me what an amazing day she had and I wholeheartedly agreed. I then invited her to join me for a painting night that I had scheduled as a singles event to meet people in the neighborhood. She joined me and during the evening, we discussed the fact that it was now feeling like a date. We decided to make that our first date and we’ve been inseparable ever since. We just passed our second anniversary.

The engagement proposal was amazing (if I may brag). I got her to think I was going to propose a different night and tricked her. Instead, I got her to join me at another painting night, with the same instructor as our first date, but I had spent months planning it and I got everyone at the event involved. We split the room, men on one side and women on the other so that she couldn’t see what I was doing. Everyone was painting a flower. I, instead, was painting two flowers, one which asked “Will you marry me?” and the other blank for her response. I had a professional photographer at the event who was taking pictures, but Robyn thought the photographer was from the meetup group taking pictures for their website, not realizing it was all about us the whole time. I nailed it, she was surprised, and the whole thing was amazing.

The best part is we are a Brady Bunch. Together, we have six children, three boys and three girls. I brought two boys and a girl to the marriage and she brought two girls and a boy, and all of us get along beautifully.

Describe the moment you knew it was true love!
I knew it early on. I remember sitting on the sofa in my apartment and telling her that I could no longer keep the feeling inside me and that I’m madly in love with her. She felt it too and felt odd saying it early, but felt very relieved that I had broken the ice.

What advice would you give other JDaters?
The best advice I could give, and the one that others told me was a great idea (if only I had it as an idea instead of an accident) is to not focus on trying to date. Focus on finding a person with whom you find interest and then go have fun together. If you make it a date, there’s all this performance anxiety and desire to make it perfect. You can’t make it perfect. If the chemistry is there, it just works.

People tell us all the time that our marriage gives them hope and inspires them to keep looking for their perfect partner. I was previously married 21 years, and my wife was married 24 years. We have now found perfection in each other.

Did you find love online? Submit your story to share how you met your soulmate on JDate.