May 16, 2025
5-10 PM PST
Saratoga, California
days until we say "I do"
Was this truly an amazing first date, or were they mistaking the relief of finally socializing in person after more than a year of face masks, Zoom hangouts, and trying to eyeball six feet for “the real thing”?
Their day began at the Golden Gate Park bandstand, where they got to know each other while walking along the beach and through the city streets. Almost immediately, they felt that they could talk to each other about anything. It was only when the sun sunk below the horizon that they realized they’d been out together all day, and that this was no mere post-pandemic elation; it was the beginning of their love story.
Soon they were spending all their time together. They had picnics in their favorite parks, browsed bookstores together until closing, went on day-long urban hikes, cooked new dishes together, and taught each other their favorite board games. Eugene fell in love with Vered’s warmth and kindness, her witty sense of humor, and her ability to make him feel completely at ease. Vered fell in love with Eugene for his sweet and supportive nature, his silliness, and how much he made her laugh. Together, they felt a little more like themselves.
On New Year’s Eve 2021, after learning that they had been exposed to someone with COVID, Eugene packed a bag and temporarily moved into Vered’s small studio apartment. After a couple weeks of quarantining together and celebrating the beginning of the year with a bottle of champagne, a mediocre pizza, and a viewing of the renowned 2019 film “Cats”, they realized they could live together forever. They decided to create a new, welcoming home together, which they and a few friends know as “Casa de Cozy” - a fantastical land filled with blankets and pajamas. They became more than each other’s romantic partners or best friends; they became family.
On Feb. 14, 2024, Eugene decided it was time to make it official. Reminiscent of their first Valentine’s Day together, Vered came home from work to a home-cooked meal and a bouquet of red roses. Eugene asked her to be his forever Valentine, and she said yes!