From Online Match to Royal Dispatch: ABC News Correspondent Finds Love Amidst duty
A modern love story unfolded against a backdrop of global events and professional demands, as an event planner and an ABC News correspondent navigated a series of unexpected obstacles to find their forever person. The couple, who first connected online in the late summer of 2022, recently announced their engagement, capping off a whirlwind romance.
The initial stages of their connection were marked by logistical challenges. “One of us got COVID, another had to travel, and so on,” explained the bride-to-be, who leads the luxury event planning firm Victoria dubin Events alongside her mother. Repeatedly postponed dates tested their budding connection,but fate had a particularly dramatic interruption in store.
Just as they secured a date for a Friday in the fall, the groom received an urgent assignment: travel to the U.K.to report on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The last-minute work commitment forced another cancellation. While reporting from the gates of Buckingham Palace, he was immersed in the demands of the historic news event. Together,back in the U.S.,his potential partner saw the news coverage and sent a message of condolence,unaware that he was a journalist reporting on the event,not a member of the royal family.
The time difference and intense work schedule meant a delayed response to her message – over a week, in fact. Upon realizing the misunderstanding, he quickly clarified the situation, assuring her that he hadn’t intentionally ignored her and expressing hope for a rescheduled date upon his return to New York. Fortunately, she agreed to meet for coffee in Greenwich Village.
Their first in-person encounter took place at Banter on Sullivan Street. “It was apparent to both of us right away that there was a connection,” the groom shared, “Even potential for something big.” The initial spark quickly blossomed into a near-constant presence in each other’s lives, with dates happening “almost every night” following that first meeting.
On November 8, 2024, the couple became engaged. According to the bride, by that point, an engagement felt inevitable. “We had already lived together for a year,and an engagement was more of a question of when,not if.”
The groom had subtly gathered intel on her preferences months prior. The bride-to-be had casually mentioned admiring a particular “old mine cushion cut” engagement ring at a local jewelry store, simply offering an idea of her taste. He immediately contacted the jeweler the following day to begin designing a custom ring.
The proposal itself was a meticulously planned affair, orchestrated with the help of the bride’s mother and the groom’s adoptive parents, Ralph and Ann Pucci. (The groom’s parents were the late actor Christopher Reeve, celebrated for his role as Superman, and Dana Reeve.) The event took place at Ralph pucci International, a design gallery in the Fl
Why, Who, What, and How:
This article details the engagement of an ABC News correspondent and a luxury event planner, Victoria Dubin. Who: The couple met online in the late summer of 2022. The groom is an ABC News correspondent, and the bride is Victoria Dubin, owner of Victoria Dubin Events. The groom’s adoptive parents are Ralph and Ann Pucci,and his biological parents were Christopher and Dana Reeve.What: The couple announced their engagement on November 8, 2024, after a whirlwind romance marked by logistical challenges and a dramatic interruption due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Why: The couple connected despite obstacles,ultimately falling in love and deciding to marry. How: They met online, faced delays due to COVID-19 and work commitments (including the Queen’s death
