Joe and Lauren had crossed paths many times before it stuck. Overlapping friends, Joe's cousin and Lauren's grandfather recorded music together, it really seemed meant to be. Fast forward to January 2021, when they matched on Hinge (where all star-crossed lovers find each other, it's where Romeo and Juliet met). Not wanting to be the one to reach out first, they let that simmer on the back burner until June, when Joe finally reached out and said "You look familiar." A few days later, they went on their first date at Grand Vin in Hoboken, where they ate a little, drank a lot, and Joe let Lauren ride his bike home (no cars or people were harmed in that bad decision). They met the families at the end of that year, Lauren embraced Staten Island, and they adopted their little Sato, Lola, a few months later. By the following year, they moved into their tiny dream home, aka The Carriage House, and Joe popped the question in March 2023 in the front yard after purchasing a ring 6 months before (he loves waiting 6 months to make a move). The next night, they brought it back to where it all started and celebrated their engagement at Grand Vin, with much more food and much less wine.