Julia moved to Phoenix in the summer of 2019 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a job opportunity. Little did she know, her future husband was on a similar journey. Reuben had just moved from Weston, Florida, eager to find a new community and explore Arizona’s outdoors.

In 2020, Reuben attended a Moishe House Shabbat and met people who shared his love for nature and community. One of them happened to be a close college friend of Julia’s. After a group hike, that friend invited Reuben to join them for some post-hike refreshments, where Julia happened to be.

Reuben walked up to the table, saw Julia, and instantly knew he’d be asking for her number by the end of the day. Julia, on the other hand, saw a quirky guy wearing bright pink short shorts and a neon yellow boat shirt — not exactly love at first sight. But she had a feeling they’d become great friends.

And they did! They quickly became inseparable: working remotely from coffee shops, arriving at every party together, and finding any excuse to spend time with one another. Eventually, Julia let it slip that she had feelings for Reuben — and his excitement was palpable. They became official on the spot… and the rest is history.

A little over two years into their relationship, Reuben knew he was ready to ask Julia to be his wife. In 2024, while visiting Julia’s family in Wisconsin, the two rented a cozy cabin on Lake Koshkonong. With the ring in his pocket all week, Reuben waited for the perfect moment to pop the question. As the lakefront began to freeze over, he realized his window for a picture-perfect proposal was closing.

Reuben set up a tripod and asked Julia to take some goofy photos by the lake. Though not thrilled by the freezing wind, she bundled up in her winter coat — always happy to humor Reuben. Moments later, to Julia’s surprise, Reuben was down on one knee, asking her to spend the rest of their lives together.