We are so thrilled you can still be part of our day and can't wait to see your faces virtually! See "Attending Virtually" tab for all the ZOOM information.

Some relationships begin by pure chance, this is not one of those stories. Our mutual friends, Danielle and Omer Keinan, will be written in the good book for this shidduch (set-up). The two saw the potential for a match, and slowly planted the seeds (well done dear friends!). Finally, after months of consternation, Joshua texted Lauren to see if she could meet for drinks. He made the first of many drives from Washington, DC to NYC, and the two met at a bar named, Dear Irving (not before Joshua stopped at the Hausner's for liquid courage). A pair of cocktails at the Union Square bar (best known for craft drinks, decor & postcard send off) led to a mac & cheese dinner at the Smith (when it's safe, we highly recommend a visit) and a match was made. Lauren & Josh enjoyed the throes of a long-distance relationship - lots of snail mail, weekend getaways, a road trip along the PCH, adventures in Iceland, rendezvous at weddings, bar mitzvahs, down the shore, in the Berkshires, New England and along the 405....until August 2019, when Lauren moved from Washington Street to Jersey Avenue and Joshua from Washington, D.C. to Jersey City, NJ.

Joshua started planning in September 2019 for the proposal as he knew Lauren’s inner circle is a small army and coordination was key! He knew the spot & a scenic drive down the shore led them to a beachfront gazebo in between Washington and Jersey Avenues in Spring Lake, New Jersey. (see the section above for the connection!). Given the semi elaborate ruse that Lauren saw directly through, she was primed for the day. On a windy March morning, Joshua got down on one knee and asked Lauren to continue their life-long quest for adventure, handwritten cards, dinners at the place on the corner, and lots of laughs. The two were joined by their parents Barb, Joel & Marla, Gary & Michelle, family, siblings, and special friends at Aunt Marilyn's beach house for a celebratory brunch paired with excited nephews, a surprise from Great Aunt Diane, and of course champagne, but wait, there’s more! Joshua knows how much Lauren loves a good party (& so do Adina & Danielle - thank you!). So steps from their apartment, more family & friends gathered at their local speak-easy, The Pet Shop. Lauren was shocked and again brought to tears. From the themed napkins, custom cake, photo booth & swarms of hugs from their nearest and dearest, it was perfect. It was a special night of l'chaims/cheers and unbeknownst to all, one of the last gatherings before the COVID-19 lockdown. Joshua & Lauren are so appreciative to all who attended and are still very grateful that no one got sick!

First, we became each other fiancés, then we quickly became a WeWork! Lauren was reminded of how animated Joshua is while working (a towel is now used to keep the noise from flowing from the 2nd bedroom to the Living Room!). And Joshua now understands the importance of circling back & synergies and that Katz (aka Lauren) always needs fresh tootsie rolls on her "desk". We puzzle, we FaceTime/ZOOM/Google Hangout, we/Josh cooks, we get excited about packages from Mom/Barb Katz & Amazon, we binge all the shows*, Josh plays virtual poker, we tag each other in Instagram posts & wait for delayed laughter from across the couch, Lauren orders things off of Instagram posts, we get excited about our daily dose of Mars from Instagram (yes, lots of Instagram!), we attempt to apartment edit and the list goes on. On Sundays, you can hear Joshua and Jason Katz battling over scrabble & Peloton has become our permanent 2nd bedroom houseguest (sorry Matty & Amanda and Adina!). We even enjoyed some local road trips (so that Lauren's camera didn't feel neglected) and of course, cocktails & cigars on the patio were not limited to only happy hour. Oh, and we are planning our wedding! Needless to say, we've kept busy! *Current TV-Show Binge Picks - Joshua: Boy Meets World / Lauren: Ted Lasso and Flight Attendant

Due to COVID-19 state guidelines and space restrictions at our venue, we have been faced with the challenging and emotional task of reducing the number of guests allowed in-person at our wedding ceremony/chuppah and reception. We truly appreciate your understanding during these crazy times and we look forward to seeing your faces either virtually or in-person in June! L'chaim!