Richard Nicholas Hudock III and Justin Neil Goldman both knew they had found their “forever plus-one,” as both put it, almost as soon as they began talking at a mutual friend’s rooftop party in Washington D.C., in May 2021.
At the time, Mr. Hudock lived in the city’s Shaw neighborhood and was working in communications for NBC News. Mr. Goldman, who had recently moved back to his hometown, New York City, after several years of living in Chicago, was visiting for the weekend.
Neither was looking for love: Mr. Hudock was coming out of a relationship and wasn’t seeking another so soon. Mr. Goldman had dated in Chicago and wanted to settle down, but had a string of awkward first dates and hadn’t had much luck.
“I finally gave up looking for a suitor when we met,” he said.
At the party, they found themselves in conversation. “Justin had such palpable charisma and charm that he might as well have been the unofficial guest of honor,” Mr. Hudock said.
Mr. Goldman also took note of Mr. Hudock. “I remember the exact moment I saw Richard,” he said. “He walked out of the rooftop door in a SoulCycle tank top, glasses and short shorts. I knew I needed to work up the courage to introduce myself.”
They started off with casual introductions and small talk, and ended up chatting for eight hours about their childhoods, fears, goals and life disappointments. They also shared their coming-out stories and spoke about their respective faiths (Mr. Goldman practices Judaism; Mr. Hudock was raised Christian).
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Mr. Hudock texted Mr. Goldman the next morning and asked him to dinner that night. Mr. Goldman had planned to return to New York that afternoon but rescheduled his Amtrak ticket for the next day.
Over sushi at Zeppelin, a Japanese restaurant in Mr. Hudock’s neighborhood, they continued talking about their lives and felt even more drawn to each other.
“I was crushed when I left D.C.,” Mr. Goldman said.
Once he was back in New York, they texted and spoke on FaceTime. Mr. Goldman visited Washington again a few weeks later for Pride weekend and changed his ticket three times to extend his trip. They hit numerous bars, caught a drag show at Shaw’s Tavern, and saw the Capital Pride Parade.
By the end of his visit, both said that they had no doubt that the other was “it.”
Mr. Hudock, 36, is from Zebulon, N.C. He is now the senior vice president of communications for MS NOW, formerly MSNBC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Mr. Goldman, 32, grew up in Bayside, Queens. He is an investment communications specialist at the asset management firm Neuberger Berman in New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
They saw each other most weekends that summer, with Mr. Hudock often traveling to New York. Mr. Goldman, a certified personal trainer, was still living with his parents in Bayside, Queens, and had begun teaching interval and strength-training classes at Equinox gyms across the city.
That fall, Mr. Hudock had asked his boss for a transfer to NBC’s headquarters in New York, and in December, the move was approved.
In January 2022, he signed a lease for a third-floor walk-up in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, and the couple moved in together that month. They continue to live in the neighborhood.
Mr. Hudock’s conversion to Judaism, they said, has been fundamental to their relationship. “The more I learned about the religion from Justin, the more it resonated with me,” he said. “The decision was mine — Justin told me he loved me either way.”
In January 2025, they began six months of weekly classes at Central Synagogue’s Center for Exploring Judaism in Midtown Manhattan, drawn to its progressive approach and acceptance of the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community.
The sessions taught Mr. Hudock about Jewish theology and customs, but Mr. Goldman said he benefited as well. “I’ve been able to reframe the idea of Shabbat not as a burden,” he said. Instead, “it’s a moment to be fully present with the people in our lives that matter most.”
Mr. Hudock proposed to Mr. Goldman in August 2024 while on vacation in Mallorca, Spain. “Hilariously, after a few days of eating and drinking to excess, our fingers were so swollen that the ring didn’t fit,” Mr. Hudock said.
They married Feb. 28 in front of 195 guests at Central Synagogue, with Rabbi Lisa Rubin officiating. Andrea Mitchell, a correspondent for NBC News and a friend of the couple, wrapped them in a tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl.
A reception followed at the Edison Ballroom in Midtown West, where a black-tie crowd filled the Art Deco space. A tequila cart circled the dance floor, stocked with shot glasses and garnishes, a nod to the couple’s favorite spirit.
Afterward, guests made their way to the Balcon Salon, a Hell’s Kitchen bar, where the celebration continued until 4 a.m.
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