Love at first sight sounds like something from a rom-com but for this Hoboken couple, it is a reality. Steven Weis, a former Stevens student, and Sarah Handler, whose parents owned a breakfast spot in town, are proof that love can happen just like in the movies. From meeting at a local bar in Morristown to getting engaged in one of Hoboken’s hidden gems and now planning a wedding, Steven and Sarah are here to share their local love story.
Hoboken Girl: So you’re Hoboken residents, what brought you here?
Sarah Handler: We live in Hoboken. Steven went to college at Stevens Tech and my parents used to own Stacks Pancake House on Washington Street where I frequently waitressed. We have a shared love for this mile-square city.
HG: Where did you and your partner meet?
SH: We met at a bar called Grasshopper in Morristown, NJ. We were each living at our parent’s houses at the time (2017). Steven lived in Rockaway Township with his family and I lived in Cedar Knolls, NJ with my family. My college roommate set Steven and me up at the bar saying we’d be the perfect match, and she was right. It was love at first sight for sure.
HG: How long have you been together?
SH: About four years. We met in November 2017 and began dating in February 2018.
HG: Where is your favorite date-night spot in Hoboken or Jersey City?
SH: Fancy – Amanda’s
Casual – Napoli’s
HG: Tell us about your proposal.
SH: Steven planned the most amazing day in the city where our love story stemmed. Knowing that I’m a sucker for Hoboken’s hidden gems and cobblestone streets, it was only natural for that to be the background when he asked me to spend the rest of their lives together.
Court Street is our favorite street because it’s hidden, picturesque, and makes you feel like you’re on vacation in Europe. We often walk our puppy, Louie, down Court Street for our “coffee walks” on Saturday mornings. Steven wanted the proposal to be intimate, have meaning, and be somewhere that is special to us as a couple. Local photographer Marie Papp was hiding in the ally to capture the exact moment Steven got on his knee.
It was so special I could not stop crying happy tears. When he put the ring on my finger, he did say “YES! It fits!” Steven proposed in November because we first met back in November 2017. I was so surprised and shocked at how well Steven planned everything and made the moment so special.
HG: Where are you planning to get married?
SH: We haven’t started the wedding planning process yet. We will visit a few places and book the first one we fall in love with.
HG: How many people do you plan to have at your wedding?
SH: No specific number just yet, but it’ll be a big one.
HG: What local vendors do you plan on having, if any?
SH: We haven’t started the wedding planning process yet but I am the founder of a local embroider business @SarahStitchShop so I have several local artist /vendor connections that I’m excited to work with including Park and Bloom, Shannon Harfosh, Marie Papp Photography, just to name a few.
HG: What are you looking forward to most as a married couple?
SH: Doing life together, doing everything and nothing together, celebrating all the “firsts” together, and traveling to our dream destinations.
