Both native New Yorkers, Ali and Neal found themselves living in San Francisco in 2018. Ali was working at Lean In and Neal was working at Facebook when they matched on a dating app.



They didn’t actually meet until 2019, because Ali bailed on Neal twice and ghosted him for a year and a half until finally agreeing to meet him at a wine bar. That date ended four hours later with neither of them wanting to say goodbye.



They started hanging out all the time – spending time with each other’s friends, exploring San Francisco, and going on long road trips. Neal would watch Ali play tennis, Ali would watch Neal find internet bugs, and they bonded over their shared love of games. (Although anyone who knows Ali knows that she only loves games when she wins).



In January 2020, they took a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate Ali’s birthday, not knowing that it would be their last opportunity to travel together for quite a while. Enter COVID-19, public enemy number one of 2020, and 2021, and 2022. Back when everyone was washing their groceries, Neal donned his mask and gloves every weekend and trekked the hills of San Francisco to Ali’s apartment. When they realized they were spending more time together than apart, Ali moved in with Neal and the two shared a luxurious attic-turned-bedroom. Who needs doors when you have love?



In September of 2020 they said goodbye to post-wildfire San Francisco and permanently returned to New York City, delighting both sets of parents. Three months later, Neal proposed to Ali on the beach at sunset. They bought an apartment down the street from where they currently live and put their partnership to the ultimate test: doing a complete gut renovation, while planning a wedding, during a pandemic. It’s going well so far, and they can’t wait to celebrate together with their family and friends in October.