Our Story
THE PHOTO THAT STARTED IT ALL
Six years ago, neither Jeserey nor Gino could have predicted where 2020 was going to take them — especially Gino, who had moved to Los Angeles the year before with very different plans for his first real summer in LA.
Then came COVID, a stay-at-home order… and a Hinge match that changed everything.
While scrolling through Hinge one day, Jeserey came across Gino’s profile. One photo in particular caught her attention: Gino posing in front of a Michael Jordan mural in Little Tokyo.
So Jeserey liked the photo.
They matched.
And six years later, Gino still likes to point out that Jeserey technically made the first move.
THE BEGINNING
Gino had moved to Los Angeles in 2019 and was looking forward to his first real summer in the city. In his mind, 2020 was supposed to be the beginning of a fun, single “Hot Boy Summer.”
COVID had other plans.
And, apparently, so did Jeserey.
Because of the stay-at-home order, meeting in person wasn’t exactly an option. Instead, they spent nearly two months texting, talking, and getting to know each other from a distance — essentially becoming pen pals before ever going on a first date.
When restrictions finally began to lift, Gino asked Jeserey out.
Their first date started with brunch at Met Her at a Bar, got food/ takeout, and then went to Santa Monica beach with a bottle of champagne and made some mismosas.
Thoughtful? Absolutely.
There was just one tiny detail Gino didn’t know yet: Jeserey is not exactly a beach person.
Luckily for him, she liked him enough to overlook the sand.
And that was the beginning. One date became another, and another, and somewhere along the way, two people who weren’t even supposed to be able to meet during a global shutdown started building a life together.
THE YEARS BETWEEN
What began with a Hinge photo and two months of texting turned into years of dates, adventures, laughter, travel, and growing together.
From their early days exploring Southern California to traveling across states and eventually around the world, they collected memories everywhere they went — from spontaneous weekends and everyday moments to Greece, Japan, and plenty of places in between.
Somewhere along the way, the unexpected pandemic love story became something much bigger. It became home.
And five years after their story began, Gino had another plan. Unfortunately for him, Los Angeles had plans of its own.
THE PROPOSAL
On January 21st, their five-year anniversary, the plan sounded simple: visit Griffith Observatory before heading to dinner. At least, that’s what Jeserey thought. Gino had something much bigger planned.
With Los Angeles recovering from the fires and another fire starting farther away that day, Griffith Observatory had closed as a precaution. And just like that, Gino’s carefully planned proposal location was gone.
What followed was nearly two hours of driving around Los Angeles during rush hour while Gino became increasingly determined to find somewhere — anywhere — with a view.
They drove through the Hollywood Hills. Gino suggested they get out and walk around. Jeserey quickly pointed out that getting hit by a car on their anniversary probably wasn’t the memory they were looking for.
Then came a botanical garden. Then another botanical garden. Then a park. And somewhere in the middle of all of this… Jeserey’s heel broke.
At that point, she was ready to call it. She wanted to go home, change her shoes, and head to dinner. Gino reluctantly agreed and waited in the car while she changed. When Jeserey returned, Gino somehow had yet another botanical garden ready to go. Absolutely not.
By now, Jeserey could tell something was a little off. Gino was normally the more go-with-the-flow of the two, but that afternoon he was unusually determined — and unusually stressed.
At the park, Jeserey had even caught a glimpse of something in the left side pocket of Gino’s pants. She couldn’t get a clear enough look to know what it was, but between that and his increasingly suspicious behavior, she started to wonder.
Still, with everything going wrong, she figured she might just be reading too much into it. Finally, Jeserey suggested they forget about finding the perfect destination and simply grab a drink at Perch, a rooftop in Downtown Los Angeles just a few minutes away. And after an afternoon where almost nothing had gone according to plan, that spontaneous decision gave Gino exactly what he had been searching for: A view.
AND THEN IT ALL MADE SENSE
The rooftop had just opened, so it was nearly empty. They grabbed drinks, a glass of rosé for Jeserey and found a quiet place to sit. Then someone decided to sit nearby. Gino wanted to move. So they moved. Then he wanted to move again.
At this point, Gino was essentially moving Jeserey around the rooftop like a chess piece, and she was becoming increasingly confused about why this normally laid-back man was suddenly so particular about absolutely everything.
Eventually, they found a quiet corner overlooking the city. Gino suggested taking a picture together. Another clue. Because anyone who knows the two of them knows that Jeserey is usually the one concerned about getting the photo.
Jeserey set the timer on her phone while Gino propped up his own phone and started recording. Naturally, she started questioning him. Why was he recording? Why was his phone positioned like that? Why was he suddenly so concerned about getting the perfect picture?
The timer on Jeserey’s phone continued counting down. And then Gino got down on one knee. Her phone captured the moment perfectly.
Jeserey’s immediate reaction? “NO!” Not no, no. More like a completely shocked: “NO!”
Gino stood back up. Apparently, they needed a redo. So he got down on one knee again and asked Jeserey to marry him for a second time. This time, the shock had worn off enough for the answer to be a very clear yes.
Then Gino handed her the ring box. Jeserey looked at him and reminded him: “You have to put it on me!” Naturally.
So, technically, Gino proposed twice. And somehow, after a closed observatory, LA traffic, several abandoned plans, multiple botanical garden suggestions, a broken heel, and one proposal that required a second take… it couldn’t have been more them.
FULL CIRCLE
There was one final surprise waiting for them. Behind the scenes, Jeserey’s best friend, Alea, had been Gino’s partner-in-crime, helping him throughout the day even as one plan after another went sideways.
While Gino handled the proposal, Alea took care of what came next. She arranged their engagement dinner from beginning to end ~ candlelight, rose petals, and all the little details that made the evening feel special.
And the location had meaning, too. Five years earlier, Jeserey and Gino’s first date had started at Met Her at a Bar. For their engagement dinner, they went to Met Him at a Bar, right across the street, bringing everything back to where their story had begun.
From a Hinge photo during lockdown… to two months as pen pals… to mimosas on a beach Jeserey didn’t particularly want to be on… to years of dates, adventures, and traveling the world together… to driving around Los Angeles looking for the perfect place to propose… somehow, they always ended up exactly where they were supposed to be.
FOREVER STARTS HERE
“And now, six years later, they get to say ‘I do.’ ♡”