JDate is responsible for more Jewish marriages than all other dating sites combined! But we’ve got more than just statistics to back it up. In our “Success Stories” feature, you’ll meet real couples who found love online.

How did you meet? What was your first date like? Give us all the details!
I’m writing to tell you that JDate changed my life. I met my soul mate, my best friend, the love of my life, the be all end all on JDate sometime around Thanksgiving in 2014. We got married this year on November 12th.

I thought I’d tell you our story as you may be interested.

She saw my profile and my pictures and flagged me as a possible match, but she had reservations. I was good on paper, but not exactly everything she was looking for. I was too short. She showed her mother (Helene) my pictures and Helene approved. She cued on the picture of me kissing my baby niece. Helene told her (Stephanie) that I looked like a nice guy and to give me a chance.

Stephanie’s reservations were about me being too short. I put on my profile that I am 5’7″; I’m actually a little over that, but didn’t want to say 5’7 1/2″. So her mother said, “I didn’t raise you to be shallow, you go on a date with that boy. He looks so nice. And he’s the same height as your father, is there anything wrong with your father?!” So, she agreed to go on a date with me.

I decided our first date would be a film festival that something I worked on was being showcased in. She wasn’t sure because she likes to do coffee for a first meeting, and I’m the opposite. I won’t go on a date with a girl unless I get a few hours with her. It could be the most important meeting of my life, so I’d like more than a few minutes to make an impression!

There was a protest going on in Manhattan, so the ride from work that I promised her I couldn’t come through on. I told her what train to take to meet me. Of course, the train broke down … and she had to walk on the tracks to get off! Then, she had to walk about eight blocks to get to me from the train. I was expecting wrath. She’s from Suffolk and didn’t know the city like that. I figured she’d be in a salty mood and offered to take her for a quick drink. She declined and said “It happens, let’s go have fun.” I thought to myself, “Oh my, I’ve found a unicorn!”

I promised it wouldn’t be more than two hours or so. It ended up being six. She’s a teacher and it was a school night, so I promised to have her back before 12; I got her home at 2:30 am. I thought I screwed it all up. I asked for a kiss at the end. We had great chemistry the whole night. She stood close to me, and I did the small of the back thing. She was receptive. I got a small peck at the end of the night. My followup with her sounded apologetic, but I had to still be confident. I was pseudo-apologizing. She said “Calm yourself, you’re cute.” I knew she had other dates, and even though I thought I messed it up, I told her I’d see her Saturday. It was Wednesday, she had a date Thursday and Friday. I said, “See you Saturday”.

Fast forward five months and we’re planning to move in together – buying a place together, actually, in Forest Hills. I decided I wanted to take her to Europe and ask her to marry me. I knew from the first date she’d be my wife. I told two of my best friends, “I just met my wife, she just doesn’t know it yet.”

I made up a reason to get rid of Stephanie and I took her parents out to lunch. I told them that I wanted to take her on a three-week surprise trip to Europe. I was asking their permission to take her in general. I gave them all the hotels we were staying at, the phone numbers of the people we would be with, etc. We were going to England, Scotland and France. I dropped in there, however, that in the middle of the trip I wanted to take her to Paris and propose at dinner at the restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower called Tour 58.

Her mother said, “That’s quick, buddy”. My response was, “Well, a little birdie told me that you and Bill (her father) got engaged in eight months. By the time we’re in Paris it’ll be nine months.” She said, “My daughter talks too much” and laughed. Her father nervously stirred his unsweetened iced tea. I then showed them pictures of stones I was shopping for so they knew I was serious. In the end, I got their blessing, and on to Europe we went. I went out and bought her a new wardrobe. Her mom helped me hide the ring. We got her passport together for me and everything was a surprise.

We went to England, drove up the coast to New Castle and then Edinburgh in Scotland. We went to the Fringe Festival and stayed for four days. We drove back through the Highlands and back to Manchester.

In the morning when we woke up, I asked her, “If there were anywhere you’d want to go in the world next, where would you want to go?” She said, “I don’t know, Paris?” So I said, “Done, we leave in a few hours.” We got on a flight to Paris. Months prior, I hired a photographer so we could have that moment saved. When Stephanie went to the bathroom, I even recruited the lady next to us at the restaurant to take video. I sent the video to her mom right after, and she had a viewing scheduled at her house!

For the last week, we went to London for four days and then back to Manchester for a few days. While away, we closed on our apartment and came home newly engaged homeowners!

We’re getting married at Flowerfield in Long Island and can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. JDate changed my life for the better and I wanted to share our story. We most definitely are a JDate success story.

Describe the moment you knew it was true love!
When she said, “It happens, let’s go have fun!”

What advice would you give other JDaters?
Just have fun!

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