Gail Simmons, one of the biggest foodies native to Toronto, moved to New York City to advance her love for food by joining a culinary school. There she ended up finding the love of her life, Jeremy Abrams.

That was two decades ago, and as of this writing, Simmons and Abrams are 12 years strong into their marriage.

The First Year of Friendship

In an interview with TRNTO, the foodie outlined her relationship with Abrams, detailing everything from their first encounter to their then-11-year-old marriage. 

Starting at the very beginning, the two met in New York and were both a part of a group of expats that moved to the States for their own reasons. 

The two also shared a few mutual friends. As Simmons recalled, Abrams had gone to Western University with her roommate and also to summer camp with her high school friend. 

She also talked about how for a year after they became acquainted, they shared an amicable relationship and were nothing more than friends.

It is also noteworthy that both of them were dating different people at the time. 

Eventually, both of them were single and realized that they'd been in the friend zone for long enough and started dating. 

An Incomparable First Date

Following that chronology, the couple's first date was in a "very big, trendy New York restaurant," though Simmons chose to leave the restaurant's name out of her narration. 

Simmons had been invited to the opening party of the said restaurant. She invited Abrams to join her.

The couple apparently had a typical first date as Simmons did not describe the night in detail.

On a side note, their first date just so happened to be on the same night as the Stanley Cup finals, which the New Jersey Devils had won. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Gail Simmons (@gailsimmonseats)

As the couple was about to call it a night and head back, they came to know that the New Jersey Devils were in the same restaurant celebrating their victory with the entire team and the Stanley Cup. 

They went on to talk to the players and were in the room when the team started pouring champagne into the championship cup.

The Devils then passed the cup around. Everyone there was cheering while they drank from it. 

While that was all going on, there was only one thought that plagued Simmons' mind. 

"I remember thinking, 'I am Canadian and the Stanley Cup is in front of me. I will drink from it!'," she recalled of the night, "It is the holy grail of Canada — how could I not?"

She confessed to the outlet that the couple often talked about that night and concluded, 

The Stanley Cup brought us together.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Gail Simmons (@gailsimmonseats)

A Beautiful Outdoor Wedding

Although her timeline did not mention which Devils victory they celebrated, 2000 or 2003, they did go on to date for a few more years before Abrams finally popped the question in August 2007. 

The wedding was held at Foundry in Long Island City, just over the Queensboro Bridge in N.Y.C. on August 17, 2008. The outdoor wedding was decorated with dahlias. 

Simmons described the wedding as a beautiful, communal, fun, and casual event with their beloved family and friends.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Gail Simmons (@gailsimmonseats)

The following November, the couple went for a three-week honeymoon to Vietnam and Japan. 

Even after more than a decade since they tied the knot, Simmons could confidently say that no matter where they were in the world, they were each others' home. And their family, which had welcomed two kids since, was the most important thing.