Of all the gin joints, in all the world… you would never think Maya and Ronnie met at The Gin Mill on New York’s Upper West Side.

Let us paint the scene – $3 whiskey drinks, sports of all flavors playing across more than 20 screens and music blaring so loud that your ears will be ringing when you leave this fine establishment.

If you have reached this point in the wedding website you would know that Maya and Ronnie are tequila drinkers, the smallest sports fans, and they often find themselves traveling to quiet and sleepy towns. Just not the kind of couple that would be at this bar. But they were.

An hour earlier, Maya was in for the evening, playing piano, organizing her Tupperware, and ready to settle into bed with at least five episodes of Frasier. Ronnie on the other hand was a few blocks away getting ice cream with his friend and future groomsman, Brian.

Enter Danicah, Maya’s roommate at the time, who barged into Maya’s bedroom and told her she needed to get dressed because they were about to go on a double date with the latest guy who swiped right on her.

With much hesitation, Maya rallied to accompany her future maid of honor and best friend. As the two young ladies exited their apartment, Danicah’s date canceled and they quickly found themselves at Gray’s Papaya.

While standing there, not even enjoying a salty hot dog, Danicah scrolled through her recent texts and suggested she and Maya meet up with another guy she had recently gone on a date with, who, get this, lived in the neighborhood.

Further uptown, finishing his ice cream cone, Ronnie received a text message from “Dani” and the four agreed to meet up. However, Ronnie warned that Dani’s roommate would have no luck because Brian played for the Mets.

Back at Gray’s Papaya, Danicah tells Maya she booked themselves another double date and that Maya’s suitor is a Mets player! And on to The Gin Mill they went.

If you ask Danicah and Brian to describe the moment Maya and Ronnie first locked eyes, Danicah would say it was an immediate connection and Brian would say Maya knew right away that Brian played for the “other team” and was not a literal Mets player.

The four entered into a debate about “the best dessert” and created a dessert bracket. They put forth cookies to compete against cobblers, and cheesecakes against tiramisu. As expected, Maya and Ronnie agreed, advancing their favorites to the final round. Ultimately the winner was a draw—ice cream and cookies—which clearly deemed chip’wiches the true champion.

Fast forward, a global pandemic later, Maya and Ronnie fell deeply in love. Their wanderlust connected them to new experiences – including their first trip together to Maui in January 2021.

Since then the two have traveled near and far, to exotic places like Palm Springs, Santa Fe, the Dominican Republic, France, Sardinia, and Tinton Falls – just to name a few.

But it was the couple’s trip to Maui that truly grounded their relationship. They will return to that special island exactly three years after and will continue to deepen their love as the two vow to be together for the rest of their lives.

THE END

P.S. Aren’t you glad they’re getting married in Maui and not at The Gin Mill?

The Gin Mill, Upper West Side, NY

Gray’s Papaya, Upper West Side, NY

Mets, a.k.a. the “other team”

The dessert bracket