A First Kiss in an Elevator Was ‘More Than Fireworks'

New York Times

04-04-2025

Virginia McIntosh Venuto and Shauna Hakim Miller had both recently ended long-term relationships when they met on Tinder in September 2022. Mx. Venuto, who calls herself Gin, was new to online dating, while Ms. Miller described herself as a 'seasoned pro.'
Their mutual attraction was instant. 'I thought Shauna was cute and had confidence,' Mx. Venuto said. 'I was very intrigued.'
'Gin seemed like a catch from her bio because she went to Mount Holyoke, a school I admired,' Ms. Miller said. 'Plus, I loved the oversized glasses in her profile picture.'
After messaging and sharing jokes, they agreed to meet for drinks a few weeks later at Broken Shaker, a rooftop bar at the Freehand Los Angeles, a hotel downtown.
Mx. Venuto, 37, said she was 'a mess' in the hours leading up to their meeting. 'I hadn't been on a date in years and called every close friend for advice on what to say and how to dress.'
Ms. Miller, 38, was excited. 'I had a sense we would hit it off,' she said.
Mx. Venuto arrived first and said that her eyes lit up when she saw Ms. Miller walk in. 'She was wearing a short-sleeved floral dress and was pretty and elegant,' she said.
'Gin was the manifestation of grace and edge,' Ms. Miller said.
Their conversation flowed easily, and they ended up staying at the bar until closing. As they rode the elevator to the ground floor, Ms. Miller grabbed Mx. Venuto and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. 'The moment was more than fireworks,' Mx. Venuto said. 'We were enraptured in a blurry silence where time stood still.'
[Click here to binge read this week's featured couples.]
Not ready to say goodbye, they wandered the streets hand in hand until 2 a.m., talking and kissing all the way.
'We were all in,' Ms. Miller said.
From that point on, they spent all their free time together. Ms. Miller lived with her parents in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and Mx. Venuto shared a home with a friend in Beverly Hills, about a 15-minute drive away. They took sick days from work to have picnics on the beach and scenic drives along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Each knew the other was 'the one' by New Year's Eve during a getaway to Guerneville, a rustic town in Sonoma County.
'We were staying at an empty, isolated hotel out of 'The Shining' and got drenched in a downpour on the way to lunch,' Ms. Miller said. 'We were soaking wet, but we were laughing. I looked at Gin and realized I had found my person to have adventures with for life.'
'The trip solidified my love for her,' Mx. Venuto said.
Mx. Venuto, who is from Tacoma, Wash., works as a fractional chief financial officer and automation technologist at the Karlon Group, a finance and accounting firm in Los Angeles. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College and a master's degree in business from the University of Southern California. Her previous marriage ended in divorce.
Ms. Miller, who is half Persian, grew up in Brentwood and is a freelance creative director who works with retail and entertainment companies. She has a bachelor's degree in storytelling and the discovery of self from the N.Y.U. Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
The couple are collaborating on a new venture, Piqki.com, a customizable press-on nail brand that they say will be available this fall.
In early 2023, they began house hunting and found their dream property in the Silver Lake neighborhood that September. The Arts and Crafts home, set on a hilltop, has city and Pacific Ocean views. They moved in March 1, 2024. 'This is the place where we want to raise our kids and grow old,' Mx. Venuto said.
During a vacation the following month to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Mx. Venuto told Ms. Miller they were going to the beach to free baby sea turtles. When they arrived, Ms. Miller found an elaborate picnic instead. Mx. Venuto presented her with a notebook detailing their love story, and as Ms. Miller finished the last pages, Mx. Venuto dropped to one knee and pulled out a box with a diamond ring. 'I fell to my knees to hold her,' recalled Ms. Miller, who said yes. 'We cried and hugged while the sun set.'
They were married on March 21 before 65 guests in their backyard. Rabbi Susan Goldberg, who founded the Jewish spiritual community Nefesh, officiated. After the ceremony, a marching band led guests to waiting buses that transported them to lunch at Tacolina, a Mexican restaurant in Silver Lake.
A reception took place the next day for 170 guests at the Paramour Estate, across the street from their home. In a nod to Ms. Miller's roots, they served a Persian dinner of lamb and salmon kebabs cooked over an open fire on the lawn.
'We had a connection beyond language from the beginning,' Mx. Venuto said. 'Our wedding gave us the chance to extend our love to our friends and family.'