Think dating apps are just for hook ups? Think again. These four couples swiped right to find the love of their lives.
If you're thinking of signing up for a dating app, here is some ammunition to fuel your decision–millions of people are swiping right to match with a life partner. In fact, we found four couples that met on Tinder and Coffee Meets Bagel, and are hitched, or headed to the altar within the next year. Because, yes, dating apps are for more than just hook ups! Check out four stories from people who agree.
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Courtney Viola, 34 and Dave Friedman, 31
Dave was out with friends at a bar in New York City when they snatched his phone, downloaded the Tinder app and created his profile. Two months later, he swiped right to match with Courtney and reached out to her first.
"I remember her profile. Mostly all the profiles were the same—it was like a girl petting a tiger somewhere, the bathing suit shot, all very generic. She had a different one. She was surfing in one and I was like, that's kind of cool."
The First Date
Dave: "It was December 5th. She told me she lived in midtown, so I picked a craft beer bar by her. I got there first and had a drink to loosen up a little bit."
Courtney: "It was great; it was so easy, the most natural conversation ever. It just flowed and felt like we were friends immediately. Then we kissed a little outside."
What Happened Next
Dave: "We had a lot in common. It fell pretty quickly after the first three or four dates; we were both ready to be in a relationship."
Courtney: "It really just fell into place. New Year's Eve was like three weeks from [the first date], and obviously that's always, you know, when you're dating somebody new ... "
Dave: "It's like a milestone. But you were going to the Phish concert."
Courtney: "And he was going out with friends and wanted to meet up, but I didn't want to do that. It was still so new and I didn't want to mess it up late on New Year’s Eve. So we met up New Year's Day instead."
Dave: "The next day I was watching college football and we were both super hung over, but I came over and we just laid there on her two couches all day, doing nothing. That's when it just started to feel organic."
The Proposal
Dave: "I surprised her at the apartment. I said I had to work late on a Friday, and she comes home at the same time, every day. So I worked a half-day and brought my computer home, but I have this thing on my computer where I can actually call her through my work phone. So I set that up and called her and it looked like I was at work but I was really in the living room. You know, I really had all these grand plans about how to do it, maybe surprise her at the beach because she loves it there, but I got the ring on a Monday and by Friday I just had to do it. I called her Dad that day and asked permission, and he of course told Courtney's Mom my plans for doing it later in the day."
Courtney: "I always call my Mom on my walk home from work, so she knew what was happening as I was walking home! I walked in the door, and I was like, 'Oh my god,' and I think I just dropped the phone. It was so surreal."
Courtney and Dave are set to marry on September 3, 2016 at the Indian Trail Club
in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
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Rebecca Finney, 29 and Sohan Fernandes, 29
Rebecca, a grant writer for a nonprofit organization, entered the online dating scene because, she says, "I was in grad school for social work, a highly female environment, and I don't like going out to bars and meeting guys that way." But after some good and bad dates, Rebecca felt burnt out, and pulled away from swiping right and left.
A year later, and with a nudge from her roommate, Rebecca signed up for Coffee Meets Bagel. On August 17th, 2013 she matched with Sohan, a senior technology consultant for Pricewaterhouse Coopers. They planned to meet later that week.
The First Date
Rebecca: "Sohan was waiting on the corner of Fulton and Water Street down by the South Street Seaport (in New York City)."
Sohan: "I still remember seeing Rebecca for the first time–she was wearing this black-and-white dress. As soon as I saw her I had this 10 second surge like, 'Wow, this is amazing,' and then it went all the way back down knowing, 'Oh, this probably isn't ever happening again.' I couldn't believe that she actually chose to like, go out on a date with me."
Rebecca: "I liked him a lot because he's a planner and I'm not. His plan was a casual dinner at an Italian place but when we met up I told him I was gluten-free."
Sohan: "But I had a Plan B in place. I took her to another restaurant instead."
What Happened Next
Rebecca: “When I met Sohan, I was dating a couple of other people–which he didn't know until later on. He always made a point to plan something with me. He traveled a lot, but he was really persistent–he always made plans a week in advance because he wanted to see me. That was in contrast with some of the other guys who I was talking to, who on a Thursday night would say, "Oh, want to grab a drink tomorrow?" Here's this guy who knows he likes me, knows he wants to spend time with me and he plans accordingly. That was the first thing that made me think this guy is serious and cares about me. And so I dropped the other guys."
Sohan: "Every time you start dating someone you have to ‘follow the rules.’ You know, you send someone a text, and then wait a few days. We didn't play those games. I just made up my mind that I am just going to be myself; it just made it easier. We didn't wait for an entire day to respond and it helped us because we were both honest with each other."
Rebecca: "Another thing is that Sohan's parents live in India. I told my parents about him pretty early on. For him, it had to be really serious, like you’re marrying this person, before he would tell his parents. I didn’t realize that at first. Finally Sohan did tell them and his mother was like, 'Well, you need to get her a plane ticket and come to India.'"
The Proposal
Rebecca: "Sohan made up a story about his cousin and wife visiting from Pittsburgh. They were taking a bus and wanted to meet us for dinner, but canceled. I was a little annoyed that our plans were falling through a second time; I decided that we'd make the best of it and that it was a good excuse to go to a fancy restaurant that we wouldn't have gone to otherwise.
Across the water from where we first met is the River Cafe, a charming restaurant in Brooklyn with a gorgeous view of the city. Once we get there everything is going well, and Sohan casually asked me about how I envisioned my dream proposal. I responded that whatever he did as long as it was thoughtful, I would love it.
We continued dinner and dessert came. The waiter brought little chocolate replicas of the Brooklyn Bridge, which included a chocolate sign that read 'Congrats' and a candle. I was so confused and turned to Sohan to ask what the 'congrats' were for, while he quickly blew his candle out and turned his congrats sign facedown on the plate. I still didn't realize what was going on until he got up from the table and got down on one knee, pulling the ring box from his jacket pocket. I started crying because I realized all the weird things that happened that day were because of this moment."
The wedding is set to take place in Rebecca's hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana on January 2, 2016.
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Julia Cox, 32 and Tom Limongello, 38
Julia, a project manager for a New York City real estate developer, joined Coffee Meets Bagel on a friend's recommendation. Tom, CEO of the restaurant-sharing app Truffle, had been on and off dating apps over the years. They matched in October 2014.
The First Date
Julia: "Tom definitely reached out first. We spoke for a week, maybe a little more and then had our first date."
Tom: "It was great. We had drinks at the Andaz Hotel and then got food a few blocks down at Parker and Quinn, at the Refinery Hotel. I think what we figured out, at least for me, is that we're very similar people. We were very easy going and easy to get along with each other. I was excited about getting a chance to meet up again."
What Happened Next
Tom: "We're planners, we don't want to miss out on things. When we started planning things together I realized that she always wanted to do what I was doing."
Julia: "And I always had somebody to do things with me, which was really nice. I didn’t have that ever before. I think things just progressed pretty quickly and I just realized I had an actual partner. I can’t believe that we got engaged after 10 months; before this I would have looked at you like that was crazy. But I’ve been amazed at just how easy it is."
The Proposal
Tom: "My friend Carmen was going to get married in Valencia, Spain to her fiancé, who is from there. I learned from an event website that, Tomatina, which I sort of vaguely heard of–instead of the running of the bulls this was the Spanish tradition of throwing tomatoes in a sort of medieval, Roman circus, was happening in Bunol, Spain.
Within two and a half minutes, we were both totally covered in tomatoes. We just had pieces of tomato on us, but others who were there longer, who got hosed down a few times, were pink. Once we came out, we got over to where my mom was, and she had the ring in a bag."
Julia: "I said, 'Let's get some pictures, because this is a once in a lifetime event.' And then Tom proposed and said, "I hope this is a once in a lifetime event."
Tom and Julia will marry on May 21, 2016 in Bridgehampton, New York.
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Connie Kim, 30 and Daniel Lee, 33
Connie, a buyer at Saks 5th Avenue, was hesitant to try app dating. But at a boozy brunch in NYC, Connie's friend nabbed her phone, downloaded Coffee Meets Bagel and helped her set up a profile. Daniel, a tax manager at Pricewaterhouse Cooper, "liked" Connie's profile but got no response. He tried again and sent Connie a "rematch" with a sweet message: 'Here's to hoping that you missed, instead of passed on me. Hi, this is Daniel.'
Connie noticed Daniel the first time around, but got so swept up at work that she forgot to like him back.
"It worked out that he sent me a rematch because I definitely would have liked him the first time!"
The First Date
Daniel: "We met in the Ace Hotel lobby, and I get there and it turns out it was closed for a holiday party. I saw her and I thought she was so cute, I gave her a hug and we went to a nearby Korean restaurant. Then we moved it over to Stout for more drinks."
Connie: "It was a really nice, long first date."
What Happened Next?
Daniel: "We met again on Sunday, and again the following Wednesday and Sunday, that was four dates. And then it was coming up on New Years Eve, and I kind of wiggled myself into inviting myself to her cousin's New Year's Eve party. It was at the NYE party where I officially asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend.
Connie: "The way he asked…he said that 2012 was a great year, but…"
Daniel: "I was waiting for her to get out of the restroom, and when she came out, I kind of pinned her back into the restroom–"
Connie: "My entire family–all my cousins were there–so he couldn't find alone time to ask, so the only place he could ask me was the bathroom!"
Daniel: "And then I said, 'Hey Connie, 2012 has been the best year of my life, but I'm pretty sure 2013 will be better because you'll be a part of it."
Connie: "A–what a line! And B–I didn't know what he was asking so I straight up asked, 'Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?' And he was like, 'Yes.' So I said, 'Yes.'"
The Proposal
Daniel: "Connie and her girlfriends were assuming I would propose New Years Eve 2013, our one-year anniversary. But in December 2013 there was this unusual Saturday where it was really warm, really perfect weather in the 60's. So I decided to do it that Saturday when I received the ring from the jeweler. But Connie had two prerequisites–she asked me to make sure she had a manicure and that there was a photographer."
Connie: "That weekend I went home and I realized my nails looked horrendous, so I took all the polish off. And the first thing he said to me was, 'You don't have your nails done.' And he doesn't notice that kind of stuff."
Daniel: "On the way to the PATH train to Hoboken, where I was going to propose, I said, 'Hey, here's a nail salon. Do you want to get your nails done?'"
Connie: "I was like, 'Daniel, seriously?' I'm not getting my nails done."
Daniel: "Off the water in Hoboken there is a little park so I set my stuff down to propose and say my stuff, but beforehand I had asked my brother and his family to be there to help celebrate after. He has two daughters, maybe 3 and 1. And just as I'm about to propose, I hear the older one go, "Mommy!!!" And I thought, 'Oh no.'"
Connie: I knew something was happening.
Daniel: I proposed and she said yes, and then we took pictures with my brother's family and went out to dinner to celebrate. Then we headed back into the city to Sons of Essex and partied with our friends.
Daniel and Connie married on September 27, 2014 in Austin, Texas.
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