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Stacey and Daniel

Hi! I am writing to tell you the story of my husband and I.

Daniel and I met through JDate exactly three years ago. I had been on the site for several years and had probably gone on dozens, if not a hundred different first dates. I would be on JDate for months at a time, get discouraged and remove my profile and then go through the whole cycle again.  When we met in July 2006, I had recently renewed my subscription and Dan had been on the site for less than a month – having just moved to D.C. for his residency in family medicine at Georgetown University.

After a week of corresponding by email, our first date was at the Irish pub, Sine, in Pentagon City.  I thought he was cute, and enjoyed our conversation, but I was more focused on my fast pitch softball team’s upcoming playoffs. I ended the date after one drink (barely an hour) so that I could go to the batting cages one more time before the next day’s quarterfinal game. Dan now teases me mercilessly about this.success-stacey-daniel-04

Our first year of dating survived Dan’s intern year of his residency, when he often worked 100-hour weeks, and would still find time to see me. He’d come over for dinner or a movie after a 36-hour shift at the hospital while struggling to keep his eyes open. Our next year of dating survived my job as an associate at a large law firm, and many innings of softball, including some tournaments on the road that took me out of town for the weekends. We were however, able to take trips to Portugal and the Galapagos Islands.  We bonded over our similar love for our families, athletics (he’s a competitive tennis player), our love for travel and wine, our Jewish faith, and our growing love for each other. I deeply admired Dan’s commitment to go into Family Medicine to treat the under-served who have little or no health insurance.

success-stacey-daniel-03One year and eight months after our first date, Dan asked me to meet him at the Jefferson Memorial the following day and to bring my softball gloves so that we could have a catch around the cherry blossoms.  I thought it was funny that I didn’t hear from him at all throughout the morning or afternoon, but I arrived at 5 pm, making my way through the Cherry Blossom Festival throngs. We started having a catch around the trees, about 30 yards from the memorial. As we threw, I gave him pointers about turning his shoulders when he throws. Then, I realized that I could hear violin music – Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.”  I figured that there must be live music playing as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival. As we kept throwing, I noticed a woman playing a violin, emerging from amongst the trees in the distance. She kept playing as she strolled closer and closer to us.  We kept tossing the ball, but at the same time, I started to realize that this might be something other than Cherry Blossom Festival music. Finally, the woman stood less than 20 feet from us, still playing. I stopped to look at her, and Dan switched out the ball we were throwing with a different ball. When he threw it back to me, I noticed it had writing on it.  It said, “Will You Marry Me?” The next thing I remember, I was crying and laughing and Dan was kneeling on the ground in front of me. Of course, I said, “yes.”

We were married exactly one year and one week after Dan proposed – Sunday, April 5, 2009. It was a gorgeous, cherry blossom day. We were married at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in D.C., and had our reception at the Key Bridge Marriott. On display at the reception was an amazing poster that my sister made, showing Dan and my first week of email conversations with each other. This poster received more compliments than the food or the music. It was as though everyone could witness our first “meeting.”  Our honeymoon took us to French Polynesia, Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. success-stacey-daniel-01

We just bought our first home, a cute townhouse, and it’s so much fun making it “ours.”  Most of all, we just can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.

I’m attaching some pictures from our wedding day, taken by the talented Matt Mendelsohn.

Dan and I want to say thank you, JDate, for changing our lives, and for allowing us to find each other.

Thank you,

Stacey and Daniel
Alexandria, Virginia

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13 Comments
  1. Stacey I play competive tennis too and I look fairly similar to Dan. Guess what, I started as a member of Jdate in July 2006 after being a non member for a long time. I look fairly similar to Dan and only wish I had met you on Jdate back in July 2006 instead of Dan. I just hope I meet someone like you in the near future. Just out of curiosity, Stacey, when you left your first date with Dan after 1 hour, how did you leave it with him as I have had 1st dates that last long but find out the lady’s not interested after all after agreeing to a second date at the end of the first date?

  2. Congrats to the happy couple, and much nachas in the future.

  3. Gorgeous couple! Stacey, I can’t believe it took a catch like you several years, to get out of the site. Your story reminded me that I am indeed normal, and that there’s a special someone out there for me as well. Thanks!

  4. I have been on Jdate for several years and I am hoping that one day I can be a JDate success story too, hopefully not in the too distant future. It would be great if that lady could be named Sally, so that I can tell eveyone on JDate how Harry met Sally!

  5. It was so touching to read these comments on Dan and Stacey, who are in fact so deeply in love. May it happen to many others! Stacey’s mom, Linda Rose

  6. Sorry everyone I meant to say I would like to tell everyone on Jdate When Harry Met Sally.

  7. Stacey what exactly was it about Simon’s profile that caught your eye? I am forever trying to date like someone who likes you but can’t get a response from the lady. I am sure you had other cute looking guys like Simon out of all your dozens and hundred first Jdates. As you stayed for barely an hour on that first date, what was it about him specifically that separated him form your other 1st Jdates? If Stacey’s mother Linda Rose knows the answer, that would be great too.

  8. I’ve noticed that the two of you emailed each other a week before meeting. When I have emailed women for that length of time, either they get snapped up by someone else or they weren’t really interested in dating, like a pen pal. Does anyone know of any JDate success stories where the two people have virtually had no correspondence that much by either phone or email, yet have eventually becoming married? In a lot of cases, the women won’t even give out their phone number before meeting you.

  9. Mazel tov Stacey and Dan!! It was so great to read your story and see your awesome pictures. Can’t wait to spend more time with both of you in NYC! Also, congrats on the new home! See you soon, Ami

  10. Does anyone know of any JDate success stories where the guy is average looking, unlike Daniel, who is good looking who has married an attractive lady, like Stacey? I am not saying I am average looking but if someone can refer me on to a Jdate success (marriage)story like what I have just mentioned, it would give average looking single guys a hope! I know ladies will say looks don’t matter and it’s on the outside that counts, but I am yet to come across actual proof of it! Your help would be greatly appreciated.

  11. Whoever was the founder of JDate should be invited to the weddings of all these JDate success stories!

  12. Any chance of publishing the first week of your email conversations on Jdate? You never know, this could just be the inspiration to the rest of us who are genuinely looking if we knew what it was. It could become as famous as The Diaries of Anne Frank, in the nicest possible way! Otherwise, you could sell them to the highest bidder!

  13. Stacey, you and your sister sound amazing! I can see you were both brought up very well by your mother, Linda Rose too, who also comes across as a lovely lady. The poster your sister made of yours and Dan’s email conversations on your first week together on Jdate sounds incredible. Is your sister single and if so, is she on Jdate? If Linda Rose is reading this, perhaps you can answer that question. What a great family you are!

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