Katherine Ward Tsyrlin was friends with one of Alan Gerard Harbron’s roommates, and when she heard stories about him and how much he cared about his friendships, her interest was piqued.
The roommate mentioned that Mr. Harbron was using dating apps, including Hinge. So to ensure they would meet — and to avoid asking the roommate for an introduction, in case things didn’t work out — she adjusted her location settings on Hinge to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where she knew Mr. Harbron lived. When the two matched, Mr. Harbron had no idea that Ms. Tsyrlin had engineered it that way.
Their first date was a bar crawl around Williamsburg in April 2019, when they grabbed drinks and danced at the venue Baby’s All Right. “I fancied Kate right away,” Mr. Harbron said. Ms. Tsyrlin decided to come clean about her Hinge maneuver, and Mr. Harbron thought it was funny and flattering. They shared their first kiss that night.
Mr. Harbron, 31, grew up in Dublin. He has a bachelor’s degree in visual communications from Technological University, Dublin. He moved to New York in 2016 and works as a graphic designer for clients such as Apple and Airbnb.
Ms. Tsyrlin, also 31, was raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Montclair, N.J. She holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute and works as a senior eyewear designer at EssilorLuxottica, an eyewear company.
Mr. Harbron said he knew that things could become serious when he hosted a 16-person dinner party at his home in May and Ms. Tsyrlin, who goes by Kate, blended in seamlessly with his friends.
