Pavol Roskovensky excitedly shared his knowledge with Claire Anderson-Wheeler as they toured the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after hours. He pointed out centuries-old graffiti and they also admired her favorite Monet, Bonnard, and Van Gogh paintings in the Impressionist collection.
Despite the occasional presence of security guards and museum employees, it was a calm and special evening for Ms. Anderson-Wheeler, who had been invited by Mr. Roskovensky to visit. He used to work as an art handler at the Met and had permission to show guests around when the museum was closed to the public.
Ms. Anderson-Wheeler was not only thrilled about the museum access but also about her growing relationship with Mr. Roskovensky, whom she had met on OkCupid. Their first date had taken place at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment in Manhattan’s Union Square area.
They talked about their dreams over drinks at Lillie’s and she learned about Mr. Roskovensky’s experiences with ancient artifacts in the museum’s storage rooms. Mr. Roskovensky, originally from Slovakia, moved to the United States as a child and grew up on Staten Island.
Their initial meeting felt like more of a reunion than a new connection, and their conversations revealed their shared passion for art and writing. Ms. Anderson-Wheeler, a former literary agent, was particularly drawn to Mr. Roskovensky’s sense of wonder and magic.
After their first date, they continued to connect through daily texts and visits to Mr. Roskovensky’s art studio. Two months after they met, he expressed his love for her on her birthday, and the feeling was mutual. In April of the following year, he was certain that he wanted to marry her.
A year after their first date, while on a Lightscape tour at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, he proposed to her, and they later moved to Jamaica Plain, Mass. Mr. Roskovensky has pursued a post-baccalaureate fine arts program at Brandeis University.
On the second anniversary of their first date, they were married in the library at the House of the Redeemer in Manhattan. The ceremony was led by a friend of the groom, and they celebrated with Sacher torte afterwards.
Later, they planned to celebrate with their families in Slovakia and Dublin before embarking on a new chapter of their lives together.