How we met
Despite what the exceptionally romantic photos below might make you think... Katie and Matt met through the most corporate of ways: through a professional matchmaker!
Matt was a 34-year-old bachelor, dwindling his marriage-eligible days away flirting with grocery executives. After watching yet another friend get married and have kids, he decided enough was enough. He journaled about it and then did what any good founder/CEO would do—he outsourced it.
Matt moved to NYC and hired a professional matchmaker to build top of funnel and find high-quality leads for love.
In September of 2024 (we know, not so long ago), Katie received a cold message on LinkedIn from a woman asking if she were single, because Katie had "the kind of profile many of her male clients were looking for."
While this kind of inquiry might have intimidated most... Katie was about to leave for Burning Man and in a "why not" state of mind. Katie's parents also met through a matchmaker back in the day, so if it worked for them, why not Katie too?
The next day, Katie hopped on a 30min zoom call. A grand total of 3 matchmakers joined the call to adequately grill Katie on her aspirations to wed. 15 minutes into the call, they said, "This is going to sound crazy, but every time you answer a question, we keep thinking about this one client we're working with..."
Of course, it was Matt.
Despite the promising algorithm that first ignited the flame, the lovebirds only lasted 4 dates before Katie ended things. They didn't hear from each other for 3 months, until one fateful night, when they somehow bumped into each other on the street in NYC... and they couldn't stop smiling about it.
Something changed that night. Maybe it was that cute black puffy jacket Matt wore, or how bright his blue eyes looked against the backdrop of those snowy West Village streets. Maybe it was how aggressively he hustled that poor chess player downstairs at the bar they ended up at... or the playful philosophical banter he got into with Katie's friends. Or maybe, Type A Katie just had to do things "her way" instead of the matchmaker's way (or Matt's, for that matter.)
Let's just say, the rest is history!
Tidbits
How he proposed
With a surprise trip to the South of France—a dream come true for this francophile bride who spent 7 years studying French and lived at La Maison Française at Stanford. 🇫🇷
On proposal day, Matt whisked Katie to a secluded, woodsy island off the coast of St. Tropez called Porquerolles (though we like to say, "Pork Rolls").
He planned to kneel on the beach, but there were too many people. He tried to take a trail less traveled, only to find it filled with mountain bikers. In a complete panic, Matt turned to Katie and asked, "Can you be on my team?!"
Together, they turned around—and as if by magic, the most perfect sunlit grove appeared. There, Matt professed his love, and Katie said, "Oui!"
Favorite places we’ve been
Mallorca, Morocco, and the Dolomites
Why we call each other our "figs"
It's inspired by a poem by Sylvia Plath called "The Fig Tree” about the overwhelming nature of choice and the paralysis that can result from it... and a reminder to fearlessly commit to the people and things you love. We're thrilled to be each other's "figs" for life!
Our dorkiest quirks
Speaking in a “minion” accent, racing each other to "genius" on the NYT Spelling Bee every morning, and sitting on the same side of the table (have to be touching at all times).