After a Private Proposal in Palm Springs, This Wedding Planner and His Fiancé Celebrated With a Brunch Engagement Party

Jove Meyer and Kyle Torrence met the old-fashioned way—on Tinder—and their love story began just as the COVID-19 pandemic did, in May 2020. Jove, a wedding planner and event designer based in Brooklyn, New York, had been renovating his home on Fire Island; Kyle, a personal assistant, had been quarantining with a pod of friends in Connecticut for over two months. Suddenly, the world got quiet, which gave them ample time to date. “After a week or so of chatting over text, phone, and video, I invited Kyle to come out to Fire Island,” says Jove.

Though Kyle excitedly agreed, he missed the ferry—but he didn’t miss the boat. “To be fair, the schedule was confusing. He didn’t want to miss our first date, though, so he chartered his own private ferry to meet me," says Jove. Upon his arrival, the duo took a long walk in the island’s sunken forest (the only national park in the United States that is below sea level) and “at the highest point with sweeping views of the ocean, we shared our first kiss.” During their extended first date, they cooked, strolled along the beach, and hung out with Jove’s two dogs, Sadie and Sausage. “They loved him,” Jove says. “It all felt so natural and both of us knew it was something special.”

Three and a half years later, Kyle began brainstorming ways to propose when the ultimate opportunity presented itself: “Our families were meeting for the first time over Christmas in Palm Springs, so I felt it would be the perfect time to propose,” he says. His first call was to Amber Gress, a wedding photographer and close friend of the couple; she immediately agreed to take part in the surprise proposal, which was held at Korakia Pensione. “Amber, who shot our beautiful photos, also ended up being the day-of coordinator, which I’m so thankful for,” says Kyle, who planned the duo’s intimate engagement party, from hiring florist La Tige Studio to stacking the brunch menu with his fiancé’s favorite breakfast foods, himself. “She was there while everything was being set up and handled it all for us. It takes a village.”

Ultimately, Kyle’s main proposal goal (beyond getting a “yes,” of course!) was to take care of Jove, the self-proclaimed planner of their relationship. “I wanted him to feel special and have an event planned for him for once,” he says. “And now I know how much goes into planning! I did not know how stressful it would be to pick cutlery, flowers, the menu, and rentals!”

Read on for an inside-look at the couple’s romantic proposal and post-engagement brunch gathering, attended by 16 of the pair's nearest and dearest loved ones.

As Kyle began planning his proposal, he contacted Jesse Tombs, an event planner and designer, for venue advice. “Jesse told me I should do it at Korakia Pensione. I was able to get a beautiful little house on their property that would be perfect,” Kyle shares. A private grove in front of the house was the ultimate spot for a proposal—and the interior was just right for a 16-person surprise brunch with family and friends.

Jove didn’t see Kyle’s proposal coming—he was primarily focused on introducing their families, and never thought his future husband would choose this moment to get down on one knee. But Kyle, who wore a J. Crew tuxedo jacket, Theory t-shirt, and Acne Studios jeans, found a way to ensure Jove, in a cream and pink look from Issey Miyake, was outfitted appropriately for the occasion: “My parents had told Jove they were taking us out to a fancy lunch as part of our Christmas gift, so he thought he was going that, which is why we were dressed nicely and on a schedule,” affirms Kyle. 

As Kyle led Jove into the courtyard, nerves set in. “I had so many things I had planned and thought I would say. But to be honest I started shaking when I walked Jove to the spot,” he recalls. “I was so nervous and emotional. All I could get out was, ‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?’” He also managed to plant his knee into the one small pocket of mud in the whole area, which the pair laughed about later. That knee-drop, though, was Amber’s cue—and Jove will never forget seeing his friend step into the courtyard, ready to capture the moment. “She timed it perfectly,” says Kyle. “Jove's face lit up when he saw her, as what was happening started to sink in.”

Jove, of course, said yes—but it “took me a moment, as I was in utter shock and surprise, and also exhausted,” he says. “I tried to cancel lunch to stay home and sleep, but alas, I was not allowed to do that!”

Caught up in the moment, Kyle realized that he’d forgotten about the Seb Brown ring he’d hidden away in his pocket. He knew the piece, a signet-style bauble with nine diamonds in different shapes and shades and a star in the middle, was perfect for Jove the moment he saw it over FaceTime. His best friend and stylist Ali Kornhauaser was in Melbourne when Kyle decided he wanted to buy a ring from the Australian jeweler; she managed to stop by his shop so he could scope out his offerings over the phone. “As she was looking at rings with Seb, he pulled out a design that he said he was saving for a special couple,” shares Kyle. “I immediately knew the ring was perfect and said yes right away.” He was thrilled Jove liked it as much as he did: “The best day of my life was him saying yes and loving the ring that I chose for him.”

Both Jove and Kyle call seeing 16 of their favorite people—including Kyle's mom, dad, aunt, and best friends, plus Jove's dad, step-mom, brother, and best friends—immediately after the proposal one of the day’s biggest highlights. “Seeing my parents and sharing that with them was so special,” says Kyle. “They have loved and accepted me my whole life and I could feel their love as they hugged me.”

Jove couldn’t agree more—and says being able to share this experience with one of his oldest, closest pals meant the world. “Seeing my best friend there, moments after I said yes, really brought a big smile to my face,” he says. “She has been by my side through so many highs and lows of life and hers was one of the first weddings I planned—and there she was. She flew in to be there and celebrate with us!”

After popping a bottle of bubbly, the newly-minted fiancés posed for a few portraits around the property—and took some time to reflect on this major moment. For Jove, it immediately felt surreal to be on the other side of the aisle. "To not be a planner, but the recipient of a thoughtful and special event is just so amazing!" he says. "Being engaged is lovely and strange at the same time. It's so easy to help others plan their wedding, but is such a different experience when it's your own. I keep telling myself what I tell my clients: You do you. Do what makes you happy and plan and design a wedding that is a reflection of your love story, style, and personalities."

Jove’s best advice for those currently putting together proposals of their own? "Plan a proposal that feels right for you and your fiancé, and remember the key is love and thoughtfulness!" he says. Another pro tip: Traditions aren't the end-all, be-all of an engagement. "There are no rules about who should propose—there is so much room to create your own traditions," he says. "I thought as the planner in the relationship that it would be me proposing to Kyle, but he decided he wanted to and he did it perfectly!"

Kyle designed the pair’s engagement brunch—hosted at a single table complete with simple white china, taupe candles, and ikebana-style centerpieces—himself and enlisted La Tige Studio to bring his floral vision to life. “Jove loves florals so much and I wanted something unique, where each individual flower could shine. She surpassed my expectations,” says Kyle. “She also had to get up at the crack of dawn because the flower district was closed on Christmas in Los Angeles. She got up the morning of the event, sourced everything, and then drove to Palm Springs. I was so thankful for her time and artistry.”

The brunch menu was packed with all of Jove’s favorite breakfast foods, from crostini to quiche. There were a myriad of personalized touches on deck, too: Kyle’s mom added “Pairs well with getting engaged” stickers to every bottle of Champagne and even helped include the couple’s dogs in a pre-proposal photo shoot. “She sent cute ‘I Do Crew’ bandanas for the dogs; I put them on them and photographed them in secret,” says Kyle, who had the images framed and displayed in the house for Jove to find after the proposal. It meant so much to Jove that “our girls were part of the celebration, too!” he says. “This thoughtful detail was such a special touch!”

Though he struggled to find the words that aptly summed up his feelings for Jove when he was down on one knee, Kyle found them as he delivered a toast at brunch. "I was so happy that I was able to stand up at brunch and make a speech with more words. I love Jove more than anything in the world and it’s so important for us to remind people that, as a little boy, I never even dreamed that it would be possible for me to get married," he shares. "I just want to hug my younger self and tell him we made it. Love really has won."